Coming home
by FlorLola
Summary: Lost and alone, the need to find the way back home and maybe some peace of mind brings Zoisite back to Tokyo. But with the younger Shitennou's reappearance, hidden truths and long kept secrets come to light. How is Ami going to react to all these? When the flame of love is finally ignited within her, will she have the courage to go for it, or will she hold herself back?
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: all and any Sailor Moon character belongs to Naoko Takeuchi. I just own the idea for this story. So don't sue me, but please don't steal either!

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**Prologue**

A dead, mute scream escaped parted lips as green eyes flung open, and the blonde jolt up. Hand over the now raging heartbeat and breath elaborated, a chocked gasp filled the darkened room as the lone, slender figure sat up in the middle of the bed, sheets sprawled and twisted around long, slender legs.

Shaky fingers ran through sandy blonde hair, long and wavy; the scalp slightly sweated after the nightmare.

With trembling legs, the figure left the bed, making the way to the small adjacent bathroom. Opening the faucet as the lights were turn on, green eyes blinked at the sudden brightness for a couple of moments before finally splashing fresh water into heated cheeks.

It didn't exactly ease the images from the nightmare. But at least it served as a welcoming reality check; there were no monsters around, no evil Queen barking orders to destroy the world, no vicious energy burning the life out of darkened and already corrupted blood...

It was over. It was all over. So why were the nightmares still there? Why was the memory of it all still burning every pore, every inch? Every single vein that carried blood still boiled with the memory, and it was as disturbing as it was terrifying.

_Zoisite..._

The voice, sultry and wicked, filled the air all around, and green eyes widened in horror.

And then a determinate frown came to delicate features. "That's not my name."

_Zoisite..._

"That's not my name!"

An angry fist met the mirror, and fresh, warm blood poured out of broken knuckles. A broken gasp, and then the slender figure slid down to the tiled floor, sobbing brokenly.

"Zoe," the trembling, soft voice filled the air. "My name is Zoe..."


	2. Chapter 1

Sorry for the ridiculously short prologue. Explanations shall come soon enough!

Disclaimer: all and any Sailor Moon character belongs to Naoko Takeuchi. I just own the idea for this story. So don't sue me, but please don't steal either!

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* * *

**1**

The scream died in her throat before it could even come out, and Ami jolt up; sheets falling around her frame and breath coming out elaborately as blue eyes blinked up the sudden tears that were threatening with cascading down her cheeks. Letting out a trembling, shattered breath, she ran shaky fingers through her short blue hair, resting her elbows on her knees and her head on her hands, shutting her eyes closed and trying to block the horrors still filling her mind.

That dream again. Green eyes, cold and unforgiving, staring straight into her blue ones, and that voice; still somehow soft, its natural delicate tone seemed grotesque when such cold, heartless words would leave soft lips. The end result always froze her blood, with her own mind reminding her of those same green eyes, filled with love and mirth and admiration, and how those same thin lips would have nothing but kind, sweet words to whisper softly into her ear.

There had been some sort of romantic involvement between herself and the blonde, green eyed Shitennou.

She didn't remember much, but she remembered that much. Her dreams told her so, though she was not sure of how deep and how far said involvement had been. All she could remember were sweet words, secretly whispered in her ear as soft hands would encircle around her waist, or the taste of a chaste, incredibly tender kiss on the lips as they hid behind a column in the Royal Gardens. The shyness and uncertainty she could remember dancing in those green orbs let her know it probably never went beyond that; not because the feelings the green eyed Shitennou confessed to her under the never ending bright light of the Earth during a ball at the Moon Kingdom were not returned, but because shyness and inexperience had stopped them both from voicing their feelings in time, and then fate and later events played their own part, forcing the affair to an abrupt end before it could even began.

It was frustrating, really. Knowing it had all been within her grasp, yet she had been unable to let herself free and experience it fully, embracing it, because of her own shyness. And what was even more frustrating was that lingering feeling dancing in her chest and stomach whenever the dreams, the sweet, tender ones would wake her up at night, as if a part of her longed for the Shitennou.

She shook her head, laying back down on her bed.

It was ridiculous! How could she miss what she never had? Even if things did go all the way back then -she gulped and blushed at the mere thought-, nothing of the sort had happened to her on this life time. Not even remotely; the Zoisite she had known this time around had been cold and heartless.

And female.

A frown came to her features then, as she rose up a hand, resting her forearm against her forehead. That was a rather curious fact. Intriguing, even.

True, the Zoisite she half remembered was not exactly manly. That was an adjective that fitted Kunzite down to perfection. She could even use it to describe Nephrite or Jadeite. But not Zoisite.

Though the charming attitude may have been something the younger of the Shitennou picked up from his brothers, after so many years training and living beside them, the Zoisite Ami remembered was far more shy, quiet and humble than his comrades. Kind, smart, and yes, a little effeminate, though by no means weak; strong yet not exactly built, with surprisingly soft, slender hands, a small, pointy nose and high cheekbones, and a wavy mane that was as soft and silky to the touch as it looked. The way his softness and daintiness contrasted so highly with his courage, his sense of loyalty and duty, and yes, his strength; the playfulness always somewhere in there, his understanding and compassion towards animals of all kinds and sizes, the smart, witty retorts to his comrades; it was all hard to miss and ignore, even through her half seen dreams.

That was the Zoisite she had known back then. And if she had to be absolutely honest with herself, Ami had to admit, it had been precisely all these qualities, all these little treats and specific details of him what set him apart from any other man Princess Mercury had ever met what had drawn Ami's past self to him in the first place.

So no, he had never been the typically strong, built, manly kind of guy. But that didn't exactly explain why He had been turned into a She this time around.

The explanation to her even being here, along with the rest of them, was easy enough to explain. There had been no way for the late Queen to know that by using the legendary Ginzuishou to send them to a distant future, their enemies would tag along as well. Maybe the Queen's wish had been for them all to have a chance, a new opportunity, and so the Shitennou had been reborn on this era as well. But without all the training and preparation they had have before, it was plausible they had fallen under Beryl's spell, their minds, hearts and souls contaminated by Metalia once more without much of a resistance.

But that didn't exactly explain the gender change. Was Metalia, and by extension Beryl herself, powerful enough to accomplish such a change? Has there been some sort of mistake, gender wise, when the green eyed Shitennou had been reborn? And if he had been reborn by the Ginzuishou and not by Metalia's doing, then where was he? Or she...

Kunzite had been the first one to show up. Completely by chance, the tall, handsome man had walked into the coffee and pastry shop Makoto owned and managed. And he had done so the exact same day, on the exact same moment the Prince was there, drinking his usual morning coffee before heading to the hospital he worked at and lightly chatting with one happy brunette as Makoto placed the recently cooked muffins on the rack.

Regret, guilt, and a deep sense of self loading that still remain somewhere in there prevented the man -Kun was his name- from accepting the Prince's kind hand and being a part of his life once more. It had taken time, and obvious effort from Kun's part to show -and know- himself worthy of Mamoru's trust and friendship.

It had taken him even longer to finally surrender to Minako's charm and love. But in the end, the stoic, strong, proud, sometimes ridiculously polite and correct lawyer and the cheerful, athletic, hopeful beyond belief make-up artist found the way to love, and to each other's arms. True to their own natures, they both kept their duty as protectors of the Prince and Princess respectively as their one and only priority, though the devotion for each other was palpable. Even if either of them was keen on sharing details of their intimate life -something that, admittedly, was odd on Minako's part.

So Kunzite and Venus had found one another again. The blonde finally had the love she had longed for practically all her life, and Ami was truly happy for her.

With Kunzite, Nephrite came along as well.

As it turned out, his civil name truly was the one the Shitennou had used when serving Beryl. Though Masato was no billionaire, he was a somewhat well known, respected astrologist. He didn't exactly worked as such, not that much anyway, but rather taught others in a local academy downtown.

Makoto's never ending search for her old sempai had finally come to an end the moment Masato came into the picture. The pieces of the puzzle this mysterious old boyfriend of hers represented finally made sense, along with the reason as to why the brunette could never truly recall this guy's face.

As a last resort to protect her, both from himself and from Beryl's wrath and hatred, and having recovered his memories right before the evil Queen could take over him completely, he had vanished the memory of their short lived romance on this lifetime so that Makoto could lead a normal life. But Nephrite's -Masato's?- plan didn't work. Not entirely, at least, for the brunette Amazon had spent the better part of the last seven years comparing all and any guy she met with this faceless man she once dated, as if a part of her had resisted, holding on to his memory.

It was only natural and to be expected for them to be together now that they were reunited. But both older and wiser, Makoto was now taking things slow. Considering they both had work and responsibilities, Masato didn't seem particularly offended with the Amazon's decision. And once again, Ami found that she didn't particularly care how they went about with their relationship, as long as her tall friend was happy.

How Masato and Kun had first crossed paths this time around, Ami wasn't sure. It was not something she particularly cared for, anyway. The how was irrelevant, and what mattered was the fact that they were here, alive, and that they were willing to take their rightful place as Endymion's protectors and advisors once more.

Jadeite... well, that was another story.

The blonde Shitennou was alive and sound, alright. And just like his comrades, he had once more taken his place as Endymion's protector and advisor. But his life this time around had taken him to all kinds of different places, both literally and metaphorically.

With no family left and sole heir of a considerably large fortune, Jadeite, now Jei, had spent the better part of the last seven years traveling around. Soul searching, he called it. Using his inherit money to pay for tickets, the blonde would take up any job at any given city or town he ever went to in order to put some food into his stomach and earn himself a roof and maybe even a warm bed to sleep in during the nights.

Fate in the form of a need to find his brothers had finally brought Jei back to Tokyo almost two years ago. After finding himself a nice though small flat, the many jobs he had taken upon while traveling proved to be fruitful, and he now worked as a physiotherapist. The techniques and little tricks he had learnt of while in Central America; the use of special herbs to make drinks, body lotions and even smelling salts apparently worked wonders on his clients slash patients, and Ami sometimes wondered if she should ask the blonde man for a drink or two to help her ease the contracture around her neck and shoulders…

His travels, he said, served him to reconnect with himself; to try and find peace of mind. A task he still pursued to this day. Whether if it was because of that, or because Rei's temper kept him away, Ami was not sure. But whatever the reason, Jei was the only one that had yet to act upon his obvious feelings towards one very specific Priestess. But the attraction between the two was evident, and even Ami could see that, no matter how much Rei kept on denying it.

It was curious, to say the least, the way each of them seemed to be drawn to one of the Shitennou. It bugged her, really. Because it almost felt as if she would have no choice on the matter, if the day Zoisite will finally appear shall come.

But the youngest of the Shitennou had yet to show up. And that was worrisome.

Forgetting about the romantic involvement between Shitennou and Senshi, the fact of the matter was, the Heavenly Kings were incomplete. Just like it was with the Senshi, even one missing member diminished their strength and power, making them vulnerable -if only a little bit. The last member was needed for the circle to close and the link they shared with the Prince to be fully restored, just as it was back in the Silver Millennium.

The Prince was vulnerable.

Not that he was weak or defenseless. Far from it, actually. Just like the Moon Princess, he was more than able to defend himself if needed. And all the Senshi had sworn their loyalty to him, recognizing him as not only Serenity's betrothed, but as the Prince and future King he truly was. Still, the void caused by his absence was there, and only the green eyed Shitennou could fill in.

It had been almost two years since they had started showing up in their present lives, and neither of them knew Zoisite's whereabouts. And considering they all shared a bond that let them feel one another, meant to strengthen their brotherly bond while serving as a way to alert one another in case of an attack, Zoisite's absence was a fact that was starting to worry everyone.

After Kun himself admitted he couldn't feel Zoisite, and with Mamoru's worry increasing every passing day, the Senshi soon took part on the task of searching for the missing Shitennou, helping out in whatever way they could. But Rei's readings would prove to be fruitless each and every time she tried, and even Michiru's Aqua Mirror was useless when it came to obtain any clue that would help them find the green eyed Shitennou.

The one and only positive tip they had got this far was Hotaru assuring the Prince the missing Shitennou was not dead. Considering she was the Senshi of Death and Reborn, her being somehow able to know that for a fact didn't seem that odd, though it intrigued Ami to no ends. But the young Senshi seemed positive in her knowledge, and even Setsuna herself had stated she could not find an interruption in the timeline that would indicate the Shitennou's passing, though she could not tell them more than that without breaking the Sacred Laws she was supposed to protect and preserve.

So, Zoisite was not dead. But then, where was he? And why were the rest of the Shitennou and the Prince himself unable to sense him?

A yawn escaped her, and Ami let out a sigh, rubbing her tired eyes.

She didn't particularly care that much if not for the fact the Prince both needed and missed his friend. For her part, Ami was not in the least interested in the Shitennou, and she hoped that when -if- he would finally show up, he wouldn't pursue any sort of involvement beyond mere acquaintances. She was simply not interested in love affairs of any kind, and certainly didn't have the time for it.

The Shitennou from her dreams belonged in the past. And the one she had known on this era had acted exactly like the Zoisite she had seen that last, fateful night, when the Kingdom fell; heartless, vicious, calculating and treacherous. Just like the one she had seen in the nightmare that had woke her up just now. And that, that was certainly someone the blue haired genius didn't want to have to face again…

If not for Mamoru, or rather, Endymion, Ami didn't want the Shitennou to be found. She didn't trust, let alone like the Dark Kingdom's servant she remembered, and she dreaded the cards fate seemed to have under its sleeve in regards of love affairs between Shitennou and Senshi. Even the mere idea made her sick to her stomach…

Forcing conflicting thoughts to a corner of her mind, remembering she had a busy day tomorrow, she turned on her side. Hugging her pillow and trying the best she could to wipe the images of the fall of the Silver Millennium off her mind, she welcomed sleep and let it take her, hopefully, far away from past events and into peaceful slumber.


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: all and any Sailor Moon character belongs to Naoko Takeuchi. I just own the idea for this story. So don't sue me, but please don't steal either!

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* * *

**2**

He rested his forearms against the counter, patiently waiting for the tall brunette to finish his order.

It was a bit of a habit he had started, right after that first fateful morning, when his alarm clock failed to wake him up due to a blackout he never knew of, as it had happened in the middle of the night, and he had all but rushed out of bed and into his clothes, only to find out his coffee machine had suddenly decided to die on him. And so what first started as a bad morning soon turned into a very, very bad one, with a bad mood that radiated from his every pore and scared people off and away with just a look his way.

The need of caffeine had been just a tad stronger than the need to head to work as fast as his car would carry him through the morning traffic. And that was how he ended up entering Makoto's coffee shop.

Destiny had a very weird way of playing its cards some times…

But, strange ways aside, his originally bad day soon turned into something else entirely when he gazed into the tall brunette woman. He remembered watching recognition and pure surprise washed through green orbs, wide and big as she stared at him, before her gaze turned slightly to a side, and to the young man that had been sitting there.

Prince Endymion, in the flesh.

That had been a little over two years ago. And though many things had changed in his life since then, the fact that he had yet to find a new coffee machine was something that did not escape him. This new little habit of his of coming in here every morning, at first if only to try and catch the Prince right before both of them had to run to their respective jobs and every day, mundane responsibilities, was something he had yet to cure himself of. And, quite honestly, he wasn't planning on doing so anytime soon.

Makoto could cook. And she knew exactly how to make one hell of a coffee to go along with that. And, well, he was a man; a good breakfast was something he needed on a daily basis, after all.

On this particular morning, Mamoru was not there to chat. Taking a few days off work, the Prince had taken his beloved little Moon Rabbit for a romantic though short trip up the mountains, just the two of them. Which left him to sit there by himself, only half listening to Makoto's conversation.

Not that he had anything against her. She was tough, strong and dutiful as a Senshi, and loyal to death as a friend. And the woman was fun; even he had to admit to that.

Sometimes he seriously thought the brunette had made a mistake when picking her career; she would have made an excellent columnist. Her gossip reports, though not as 'juicy' as Minako's -as the blonde herself would put it-, were always as fun as they were interesting. Her never dying worry of how Mamoru worked himself to exhaustion was touching; the reports of what Nephrite's predictions said for the day or week or even month, and how she would always find a way to reacomodate that to her own gain and convenience, either scolding, teasing or downright mocking the man -never being actually mean about it, but mocking him all the same- was entertaining; her detailed retells of Haruka's races were something any sport reporter would be jealous of, and her inputs on how Rei should stop scolding her grandfather and let the old man be, to then give a long list of other things the Priestess should be concerning about were simply hilarious.

The never ending demonstration of how much Makoto cared for all her friends was a strange, sweet, tender, and always funny mix that came in the form of a happy chatting. All, while she waltzed around, taking and preparing orders and gifting smiles to all her costumers.

So, yes, he liked this girl. But on this particular morning, he found himself not really listening to her. Again, not because he didn't care about her argument with an apparently rude and lazy contractor that kept on making up excuses not to finish the job he had started in her bathroom -something that, he knew, he could surely help the brunette out with. And he knew he should probably be ashamed for not listening carefully to her. But there was something else that kept jumping into his mind, making it impossible for him to focus on Makoto. Or on anything else, for that matter.

There was something in the air… It had been there for the past two days or so. It was faint, barely even there, but still there none the less. But as faint and vague as it was, he was perfectly able to recognize exactly what it was.

Zoisite was nearing.

It really was vague, and he wondered if the others could feel it too. But he had yet to bring the subject up to them; not until he felt a stronger pull.

It had been the same with Jadeite, and it had taken months before they had finally found him. Geographical distance had played its trick, and along with the blonde still not ready to come back and actually be found, the reason for their link to be absent, or even weak for so long, was understandable.

It was a little trick he had learnt over the passing years; a Shitennou could not be found or sense by the others if the one in question did not want to be found in the first place. They had to be ready, heart, mind and soul, to face up both their own shame and their destiny for their bond and link to work.

So maybe there was some of that with Zoisite as well. Or maybe there was something going on in the green eyed Shitennou's life that kept on delaying the already long waited reunion. Zoisite was young, if his calculations were correct and his memory didn't fail him, so there surely was college and social and family life to consider, regrets and self condemnation aside.

He had hoped for that to be the case for years, forcing darker what if's off his mind. And that faint, lingering feeling tugging at his mind now proved him right. And all he had to do now was sit around and wait, knowing the green eyed Shitennou would come around any corner sooner or later; fate and their bond did have a way to make them act like magnets around each other, always finding one another.

He just hoped it to be sooner rather than later...

The beeping sound of his cellphone forced him out of his thoughts, and he took the device out of his suit jacket. A low grunt erupted from his throat at the name flashing on the small screen; the next few hours were going to be tedious, that was for sure.

"Duty calls?" Makoto's voice forced his ice blue eyes away from the screen and into her green ones.

"Yes," he said, not bothering with answering the call, and shoving the device back into his pocket. "I have to get going now," he apologized, taking a few bills from his wallet and putting it into the tips jar, already knowing there was no way he would ever be able to pay for his morning coffee, for Makoto never let him.

"You don't have to do that, you know?" she said, proving him right. "It's on the house. You know that."

"I know," he conceded, nodding his head. "And I'm showing my gratitude and appreciation to the house."

Green eyes narrowed at him then. "Go play Mr. Charming Man with Minako," the brunette said, "'cause this girl is not interested," she stated, firmly, while pointing at herself.

A small, amused smile tugged at the corner of his lips at that. "You forgot to add 'taken'," he said, feeling like teasing her a little.

Makoto blushed, blinking up at him for a couple of seconds, before she narrowed her eyes at him again. "Just get out of here already!" she exclaimed, shoving him off with an apron for emphasis.

He laughed good heartedly at her expense before doing as he was told, stepping out of the shop.

The still somewhat cool breeze of the morning grazed his face, making his silvery white hair dance around his shoulders lightly. And he breathed in, closing his eyes for a moment.

Yes, it was there. He could feel it in the pull that was faintly tugging at his mind. He could feel it in his chest, and he could barely wait to finally have his family back together.

_We're waiting for you, little one_.

.-.

Reaccommodating his crossbody bag over his chest and shoulders, he shoved his hands into his jeans pockets, whistling lowly to a tune that came to mind as he strolled down the sidewalk.

It was a quiet night, and though he was a bit tired, arms and hands a bit sore after a full day of work, he had no hurry on making it back to his flat. And so he made his way easily, leisurely, admiring families, couples, housewives shopping for groceries alike as he passed them all by. But when the sight of a tall, brunette man standing in the middle of the sidewalk, right outside a well known coffee and pastry shop, he smiled.

The man was probably waiting for Makoto to be done with her last costumers and close up. And he just stood there, cardboard coffee cup in hand and seemingly forgotten, as he stared up at the night sky.

"Anything interesting?" he asked, as he stopped right next to the chestnut haired man, knowing their link would never allow him the brief though fun satisfaction of startling the man; Nephrite had already sensed his presence, anyway.

It was curious, how he never called neither of them by their civil names in his mind. Maybe it was just a really old habit or something...

But he knew it was the same for the other two. They would always call each other by their civil names when in public, if only to preserve their true identities. They were the Shitennou, after all, meant to guard, advice, and look after the future King; giving their identities away so recklessly was just not an option.

"Maybe," Nephrite said, slightly nodding his head in acknowledge, though he kept his blue eyes glued to the nightsky. "The stars are shifting," the man then said, after a moment of silence.

He nodded, easily understanding what he meant by that. "So," he said, looking up at the stars as well, even though he couldn't get anything out of the shining dots up there; his power was completely different, after all. "You feel it too."

"Yeah," Nephrite said, slightly nodding his head. But then a smile made it to his lips, and he turned his blue eyes to him. "Zoisite is coming."

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**A.N.:** Hope this wasn't too confusing...

**A kind of important note:** Though this story is Anime-based, I'm taking a few things from the Manga that I believe fit this story better. Like ages. Everyone's ages. So considering at the beginning of the series the Inners were 14 and Mamoru was 16-17 (I'm taking 17), and this is set 5(ish) years after the end of the series, the Inners are all 22 and Mamoru is 25.

Not sure the Outers will be showing up that much on this one and whether their ages are relevant, but just in case... Something people often mess with and bothers me to no ends is Haruka and Michiru's age. They are 16 when they first show up. That makes them a year older than the Inners, because it's _at least_ a year later, so the Inners are 15, not 14. Anyway! 16 plus 2(ish) years (one for the SuperS season/4th Arc and one for the Stars Season/5th Arc), plus 5(ish) years later, they are 23 on this story. Cute little Firefly was 12 when she first shows up, and goes back to being somewhere around that age at the end of the series, so she's 18 on this story. And Setsuna… well, we don't know her age, so I'm not bothering with it; I'll just say she looks like a mid-twenty gorgeous woman and leave it at that.

Now, the Shitennou. Here's where I'm sticking to the Manga. Jadeite is stated to be around 18, Nephrite 19, Zoicite 17, and Kunzite 25. I'm only messing with Kunzite's age, 'cause it seems a little bit too old for me. For the rest, I'm keeping their Manga-stated ages, so on this story Jadeite is 26, Nephrite is 27, Zoicite is 24, and Kunzite is 30.

I'm on a roll here, so I might as well squeeze my muse while she's here. I know, I know, I have other stories waiting to be updated. I'm a terrible person, I know! But I'm currently kind of addicted to this story, and, well... I kinda have to go for it... don't kill me?

Canon lovers will probably skin me alive for this, but in my defense, all I have to say is, it's called fanfiction for a reason, and this is a really big fat 'what if' kind of story mostly centered around Zoisite, though of course there will be some romance with our one and only favorite blue haired genius. So there! If you don't like it, just hit the back button. No hard feelings.

On another note, I don't know much about the musicals or the live action, mainly because I'm not fond of it (at all). So I'm not familiar with the civil names the Shitennou go by. What did I do? I went to mamma Google for help, and then picked what I thought fit better. As for their personalities and what they do for a living, again, I went for what I thought fit this story better, though I do try to stick to what Miss Naoko herself specified about them in the Collection Materials, a bit of what is commonly seen and accepted in fandom, and then a bit of my own plotting. The point is, don't murder me just quite yet, kay? Just give this story -and me!- a try and I promise I'll try my best not to disappoint!

As usual (though those Ami-Zoisite lover out there may not know this...), I'm broke and I don't own a thing worth suing me for. All SM characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi. But since this has happened before... please don't steal this story, ok? Because the idea for it is all mine. Also, and in another note, English is not my first language, so I apologize for all and any mistake; I try the best I can! Notes and comments on that area will be welcome, and highly appreciated!

Ok, that was a_ long_ author's note... enough with the babbling! Reviews are more than welcome, so if you have the time and will, let me know what you think so far! If not, then just stay tuned; next chap should be coming soon!


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: all and any Sailor Moon character belongs to Naoko Takeuchi. I just own the idea for this story. So don't sue me, but please don't steal either!

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* * *

**3**

Green eyes watched carefully as the coffee machine did its trick, filling the pot; long, slender fingers tapping around against the counter impatiently. Not that it was such a fascinating sight in the first place, but the brown hot elixir was needed.

After seven years, Zoe was now used to the lack of proper sleep; she considered herself lucky if a visit to Elysion lasted longer than four hours. The nightmares never allowed more than that, and again, she was used to it, even if she had yet to find a way to wake up without her heart threatening with exploding inside her chest and her entire body trembling uncontrolled...

She was sure she was never going to get used to waking up in the middle of the night with a cold sweat and a deep feeling of dread and doom filling her every pore. The lack of sleep, she could cope with, but only with the help of a big, steamy cup of coffee.

Sometimes two...

So, she was kind of addicted to coffee. So what? It wasn't such a weird thing, considering her current situation. Terrifying nightmares about the past aside, it was only normal for her to be tired, exhausted even, both physically and emotionally.

Shaking her head, she forced her own dark thoughts to a side as she poured the freshly made coffee into a mug and drank it. Green eyes rolling in pleasure as the hot liquid rolled down her tongue.

She could use some food to go along with that, but she didn't have the time to sit down and actually have a decent breakfast. Many things needed to be done, and she was not willing to waste a second longer; she could hardly wait already.

Making the way upstairs and into her bedroom, she took her sleeping clothes off. Grabbing a pair of low rise, well worn pencil jeans, she threw them on, along with a white, racer back tank top that reached all the way down to her thighs. Taking one of the bands around her wrist, she worked her hair into a high though messy bun, contemplating her image on the full mirror and giving herself a satisfied smile. The jeans kissed her hips and legs perfectly, and the tank top, though lose, added a nice lay back touch to her final look.

She looked good. Period.

Maybe it had been the hidden memory of her past life what had first made her so vain this time around. Whatever the reason, she had always liked to show off the figure her mamma gave her. A thin waist, a flat yet strong stomach and a nice pair of long, slender legs, she was the proud owner of a C cup, with firm and tight breasts. Just like right now, she always took up the opportunity to skip the entire wearing a bra part whenever she could; the feeling of the bindings, tight against her breasts, was too fresh in her mind, and now she loved the feeling of soft clothing against her breasts, free and unbidden.

She had been forced to hide her true gender for so long, it felt good to be able to be and feel all woman for a change. It felt good to be able to put on a skirt, wear high heels, or even some make-up, without being scared of a well kept secret getting out.

On a long ago forgotten Kingdom which textbooks never talked about and historians had never even heard of, she had been forced to hide her true self in order to survive. And though now certain traditions and points of view of the past would be frown upon and seen as archaic, or even sexist and discriminatory, back then, a woman doing a man's job and occupying such a high rank in the military was nothing short of outrageous. So of course hiding what truly lay under her clothes so no one would know or even suspect had been paramount.

Kunzite had known, though. They all had.

Back then, Zoe... no, Zoisite. Zoisite had found in the Palace's training program an answer to her predicament.

Lost and alone, homeless and orphaned, the life of a small girl out on the streets hadn't been any easy. The task of finding bread to put into a painfully empty stomach had been already hard enough without the need to worry about mugs and predators wanting to take advantage of such a small, helpless girl. So changing herself into a boy had been the only way to keep those men away from her; entering the Palace's program had been a way to ensure herself a warm bed and a nice meal, along with a decent education.

Little did small little eleven year old Zoisite know that she would find much more than what she bargained for.

Hiding her true gender had been, at first, easy enough. Her long wavy hair was not unusual, and life out on the streets had made the pre-teen tough enough to pull the trick off. But it was when her body started developing on her when trouble started. Zoisite had soon found herself waking up earlier than everyone else just so she would have enough time to bind her growing breasts; finding cloth she could use as sanitary pads was hard enough, while finding the right moment to both clean and change them had proven to be quite the hard task. And the pain that usually came along with her period... well, that had been something she just had had to put up with.

It didn't take long for all the other trainees to tease 'him', tagging the green eyed 'boy' as both shy, yet still quite a bit vain. And though maybe there was a bit of that, Zoisite just couldn't risk it and let her secret out. Even at such a tender age, she had been well aware of the punishment for lying to the throne. Though she had yet to even catch a glimpse of the royals from a far back then, being on the Palace's training program meant, by all means and intentions, swearing loyalty to the Golden Throne.

Zoicite was just about to turn fourteen when fate finally came knocking on her door. She had learned all about the Shitennou and how they were so much stronger than any other human out there. They were born with special powers so that they could fulfill their destiny, accompanying the crowned Prince all through his life and until he would take the throne, to then act as the King's personal advisors and protectors.

Yes, Zoisite had known all about the Shitennou. She just never thought she would actually turn out to be one of them. And when the truth about her own fate and destiny came to light, and just about to be proclaimed as one of Crowned Prince Endymion's Guardians, the need to come out clean had arise. Even with her neck on the line.

Zoe remembered being positively terrified.

And really, who wouldn't? As commanding officer, Lord Kunzite was in charge of the entire training program. Though he did not take part on any of the more theoretical classes, he was always there during the body and sword combat lessons. And Zoisite had known him for long enough to know, the man was frightening beyond words when angered. So when the commanding officer delivered the news to her, telling her she would be soon taking the Sacred Vow as the last Shitennou and would start the corresponding training right afterwards, of course pure terror invaded Zoisite completely.

One thing was to lie her way so she could finish the program and find herself a decent job as a low ranked guard at the Palace. Another was to lie, right in the face, to the Prince himself...

And Zoe remembered herself standing there, in the darkened antechamber, illuminated only by the few candles hanging from the walls and the burning fireplace. She remembered walking all the way up to Lord Kunzite's private chambers, still wrapped around her training uniform, even though it was well past curfew and she was supposed to be resting. But words had failed to make it past her lips, and, knowing herself as good as dead either way, she had opted for showing instead of telling.

With trembling hands and downcast eyes, she had barely managed to undo the first few buttons of her shirt, knowing the bindings would protect at least some of her dignity, when Kunzite's ice blue eyes had all but shot wide opened. With long, fast strides, in the blink of an eye, the man had stood right in front of her, placing big, callouses hands on her wrists and stopping her actions.

"There is no need," he had said in a rush, with an unusual and completely out of character blush decorating his handsome face. "I know."

The strangest mix of emotions had all but invaded her then. Shame at first, when for a moment she had thought the white haired man had misinterpreted her intentions; surprise upon hearing his words; pure fright, when the meaning of those words finally made it past her embarrassment and registered in her mind.

With her hands still trembling and a bright blush assaulting her cheeks, Zoisite had closed the shirt back protectively, somehow managing to blink up at the man. "Y-you _know_?"

"I've engaged you in fight before, remember?" he had asked right back, remembering her the many times he had specifically asked for either a sword or a body combat with her. Later on, Zoisite would learn Kunzite had purposely done that to taste both her strength, and the dormant power, that which only a Shitennou could carry, deep within her. "You're good," the tall man then conceded, eying the girl up and down, "but not _that_ good. I've always known. Though I was wondering when you would come clean about it."

"I-I... I can't do this," Zoisite had all but stuttered. "I can't be one of the Shitennou."

"It's not a normal occurrence. But it is not completely unheard of, for Guardians to be female."

Yes, she had known, even back then, of the Senshi. The legendary Guardians of the Moon Palace, and of the entire galaxy itself, according to some people. Though that last bit was more of a mouth to mouth rumor than an actual well known fact.

But she was no Senshi, and Terra had never had a female Shitennou.

"No soldier will ever respect me..."

"They don't need to know. But the Prince _must_ know."

She remembered the relief that Kunzite's previous words first brought had been suddenly washed away with that last statement. And it hadn't even been a statement; his tone, clear and severe, had been a clear order.

To Zoisite's utter surprise and eternal gratitude, the Prince had not object. In fact, he had seemed quite amused over having a girl as his own personal Guardian, and he soon adopted her as his little sister.

They all did. Though, officially, she was the little 'brother', and that was how the rest of the court saw her. But that had never bothered Zoisite; all that mattered was that the Shitennou and Endymion himself accepted her for who she really was.

Behind closed doors, far away from praying eyes, she had been their little sister. And more often than not, their voice of reason when in matters of the heart -or, more accurately, their hormones...-; the needed and always welcomed female input for well trained, smart men that were not so smart when it came to understanding a woman's heart and actions.

Somehow, the shared secret had deepened their bond, for it went way beyond duty. They had truly been the only family Zoisite had ever known. No matter what, she had always known she could count on them, with Jadeite playing the part of an overly protective brother more than once, Kunzite's words and wisdom always there to ease her mind and worries, and Nephrite's never dying pride and teasing attitude pushing her to the limits, creating a rivalry that had ended up gifting Kunzite with more headaches than she cared to count for.

It was amazing, in a completely disturbing way, how such camaraderie, playful and strong, could so easily be turned into something vile and hateful. Or just plain _wrong_.

She was barely seventeen years old when the Dark Kingdom came for her. With no memories of her past life, no knowledge of her own strength and power, and no training whatsoever, it had been impossible for her to fight the dark Queen, falling victim of her spell almost immediately. Beryl had been able to corrupt her mind and soul with extreme ease, and Zoe soon found herself forgetting all about her life as a normal teenage girl, remembering a twisted, completely distorted version of Zoisite's life and past instead.

She didn't remember ever crossing paths with Jadeite during that time. But she did remember seeing the other two, both trapped and brainwashed. And with the evil energy filling their every pore, feeding their veins, what once had been a joyful, healthy rivalry between herself and Nephrite was turned into hatred. So deep, that it had led her to plan her own brother's demise and death.

Zoe hated herself for her own actions. She was not the one who had actually killed him, but by all means, she may as well had been. Her brother died because of her, because she plotted against him, with every intention of ending him. And brainwashed or not, she just could not forgive herself for that.

The admiration and fraternal love she had felt for Kunzite had been turned into a sickening, obsessive love. And that was so wrong on so many different levels, Zoe didn't even want to think about it. It was disgusting, that was for sure. And she was thankful that, even in such a state of mind, with all that wicked, vile energy consuming her, that love, as sickening as it was, never went beyond possessive embraces. And maybe a kiss or two, though that was something Zoe would gladly bury into the deepest, darkest corner of her mind for good.

The idea of being intimate with a man was disturbing enough. She didn't want to add Kunzite -Kunzite! The man had been like a brother to her!- into that equation…

And then of course there was the fact that she had tried to kill Endymion. And that, that was simply unforgivable.

The last thing she remembered from those dark times was dying in Kunzite's arms. After that, she suddenly found herself laying in bed, blinking up at the completely white, sterile wall of a hospital room.

Back into the world and being Zoe again, she soon found she had disappeared for an entire year -kidnapped, the police said-, and she was unable to recall a thing. A truck driver had found her unconscious and laying in the middle of nowhere, and had taken her to the nearest hospital. And, recognizing her from a Missing Children add, the doctors soon called the police, and Zoe's parents were contacted and told she had been found.

The investigation around the case and any attempt to find her captors never led anywhere. There were no memories or any kind of description she could give to the police the help put those responsible for her disappearance behind bars. Not that that was even possible, but there was no way for the local police to know that.

All she had during those first confusing months were her nightmares. But she had been unable to recall them at first. Her memory loss extended to her own dreams, and all she knew was that she would see and feel inexplicable horrors in her dreams, only to wake up screaming in the middle of the night.

It didn't take long for doctors to send her off to a psychiatrist, saying she was obviously suffering from a posttraumatic disorder after such a terrible experience, after being held captive for an entire year and escaping only God knew how; who knew the horrors she had been through. Even she hadn't known much herself, and Zoe had wanted to go back to normal and put all those nightmares behind, hating worrying her parents so much, that she agreed to the doctors wishes and recommendations, putting herself under the care of a shrink and swallowing as many pills as the well known, respected old man prescribed her.

But the medicine never helped stopping her nightmares; if anything, it turned them more foggy, confusing and scarier. And as a side effect, it numbed her senses, making her dizzy and tired during daytime.

After months of getting nowhere, she finally decided she had enough. She did all the research and read all the books there were about dreams and how to train one's mind to remember them; as terrifying as they obviously were, Zoe had known, those nightmares held the key, and she needed to know. Deep inside her, something told her it was important for her to remember.

It took her a while, but in time, she learned how not to wake up screaming in the middle of the night. She lied her way out of therapy, playing the role of a perfectly normal, healthy, sane teenage girl down to perfection, and secretly stopped taking her medicine long before the doctor finally agreed to discharge her. She kept it all to herself, training her body and mind so that she could teach herself how to remember her own dreams.

Her hard work paid off.

Though she had been somewhat exposed to the language since the day she was born, she had never been able to understand more than a few words here and there. Yet, after her year long absence, one of the first things she discovered once the fog started dissipating was the fact that she was perfectly able to understand Japanese and could speak it fluently. And with that curious discovery, everything else came along. The images her nightmares were slowly starting to reveal were enough to scare even the strongest, bravest of men, yet she kept on going. And she soon discovered that the original intention of not wanting to preoccupied her parents had been wise; there was no way she could ever explain to them what had really happened to her during the year she went missing. Not without being forever confined into the deepest corner of a highly guarded mental hospital.

And so, she started remembering. Her past life as Zoisite, life at the Golden Palace, the rise of Metalia and her minions attacking everywhere, Beryl, Mercury…

"Zoe?" a male voice from downstairs got her out of her own mind, and she shook her head, forcing her thoughts to a corner of her mind. "Where are you, woman?"

"Up here!" she shouted, not bothering with being a bit more specific. It wasn't such a big house; it wouldn't be hard to figure out exactly where 'up here' was.

Sure enough, a few moments later a somewhat short man popped his jet black haired head into her bedroom. Honey colored eyes blinking curiously at her for a moment, before he took in the boxes around, the empty shelves, the opened closet with only half her clothes hanging in there, and the half made suitcase resting opened over the bed.

"So, you're actually doing this," he commented.

"Papers are all done and ready," she said, nodding her head. "I just need to finish up here and…"

"I can't believe you sold the house," he interrupted her, resting against the door frame as he looked at her with a look upon his face that was something in between sadness, reproach, and defeated understanding.

She shook a shoulder. "There's nothing left for me here."

"Gee, thanks."

"You know what I mean, Steve," she tried to cope, going up to him and placing her hands over his shoulders. "I love you, and you'll always be my one and only, absolutely great, though crazy, friend," she teased. "But I need to do this."

He let out a sigh, shrinking his shoulders. "You always talked about going there," he conceded. "I just never thought you would actually _do_ it. What am I gonna do without you, uh?"

She smiled at that. "You'll live," she assured him. But then a teasing smile came to her lips. "And we both know you'll forget all about me the second you hit the sheets with some dark, mysterious lover," she teased, going back to her closet and taking a handful of tees out.

The smile that came to Steve's face then was cheeky, childish, and quite adorable. And also kind of stupid. "I like the sound of that!"

"I knew you would," she said, nodding her head. "You slut."

"Hey! At least I have some fun!" he defended himself. "Unlike some _other_ people I know," he then mocked, arching an eyebrow her way.

"I don't need a dick inside me every night in order to have fun."

"Then get a pussy."

"Steve!" she scolded him, getting as red as a tomato.

"What?" he asked, innocently batting his eyelashes. "You're either the most boring straight girl I know, or the weirdest lesbian…"

"What's that even supposed to mean?"

"Means you need to get some, girl!"

Again, she blushed. How exactly did they end up talking about her sex life? One thing was for sure though, she was not going to have that one conversation with him, ever again. It had been weird enough the first -and last- time around, and she was not about so share the details of her sex life with him. Not that there was much to share in the first place, but still.

"Just promise me you'll get yourself a hot Japanese lover," Steve kept on going.

For reasons she didn't want to analyze too deeply, two different faces jumped into her mind's eye. And Zoe didn't know which was worse, the foggy memory of a beautiful blue haired girl and stolen kisses and sweet words whispered in secrecy on a different lifetime, whose Princess she had tried to kill on several occasions this time around, or the memory of a sick, twisted love for the man that had once been like a brother to her.

She was sure Mercury didn't remember a thing. At least she hadn't, seven years ago; there had been no signs of recognition in the petite Senshi blue eyes. And the girl probably hated her, recognizing her only as Beryl's servant. Not that it mattered much; besides a heartfelt, one lifetime and seven years overdue apology to them all, she had little to nothing to do with any of the Senshi. Her business was elsewhere.

And Kunzite… well, Zoe just hoped he'd understand. That was, if she ever found him…

"Doesn't matter which way you go, just get someone, ok?" Steve was saying. "And if you go for a He, then make it a hot one and send me a pic, kay?" he then added, repeatedly arching both eyebrows in a ridiculous, playful, seductive manner as he raised a hand up, closed in a fist.

She shut her eyes closed and turned around before he could even finish his mimic. "Ew! Steve!" she exclaimed, blushing despite herself. That was way, way too graphic for her liking!

"Ok, ok, sorry!" he exclaimed, laughing all along as he placed his hands over her shoulders, making her turn back around. "Just promise me you'll take care of yourself."

She took a deep breath, trying to wipe off any images Steve's previous request brought to her mind, and nodded her head. "I will," she assured him.

"And don't you dare replacing me with some Jap gay guy," he then threatened, pointing an accusing finger right at her face. "I hear they're way much cooler than us Americans…"

She chuckled at that, amused at his pouting face.

He frowned, now looking hurt. "I'm serious!"

"Steve," she called out, as it was now her turn to place her hands over his shoulders. "You're a gay guy living in the gayest city of the _world_," she pointed out. "There's nothing cooler than that."

He frowned, tilted his head to a side, and then just nodded his agreement. "True," he said, smiling widely now. "Still. You know what I mean."

"No, not really," she joked. "I don't know what you're talking about ninety five percent of the time, actually," she continued, laughing when he hit her shoulder.

"You're impossible," he complained. "Why do I even bother?"

"Don't know. Why do you?" she asked right back.

He shook his shoulders. "I'm a softy, and you're kinda cute. So sue me," he said. "When does your plane leave?"

"Tomorrow morning."

"Kay," he said, nodding his head. "Gotta go now, but I'll be back tomorrow and I'll drive you to the airport."

Knowing better than to argue with the man, she just nodded her head, shoving her hands into the back pockets of her jeans and staring at him.

She hated this.

She hated goodbyes. She wasn't good at it, and she never knew what to say. And she knew she was going to miss everything; the house, and all the memories it held, the coffee shop she always went to with Steve, and the never ending stupid arguments they would always have. He was the only real friend she had; the one that had stayed with her through everything, even if he didn't know even half of what that 'everything' actually was. But he had always respected her, never pushing her -not on that matter, at least-, knowing she would share her thoughts and worries in her own time, when and if she was ready and willing to do so.

Steve was her friend, and she knew she was going to miss him dearly. But some things were just more important than her crazy friend and life in San Francisco; she had brothers to find, and long ago broken bonds to mend.

And maybe, just maybe, she could find some peace of mind.

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**Justifying myself: **This came to me in kind of a weird way... I've been meaning to write a Senshi/Shitennou story for a while now, and I've been toying with the possibility of writing something that would explain why Zoisite is a She in so many subs out there. This is the end result of that.

So yes, I made Zoi a She. Don't kill me for it! Like I said before, it's called fanfiction for a reason, and this is a really big fat 'what if' kind of story that tries to somehow justify why Zoicite was female in the American (and so many others) anime dubs. So there! If you don't like it, just hit the back button. No hard feelings.

Rating answers to a few situations I will be throwing poor dear Zoi here and there. And as you may have figured out, this is a girl-girl themed fic, and there will be some romance (got reunite the Shitennou first!). There might be a scene or two somewhere along the line (with all explicit material being post in my blog), and then of course, better to play it safe. So there. You've been warned!


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: all and any Sailor Moon character belongs to Naoko Takeuchi. I just own the idea for this story. So please don't steal either!

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**Innouva:** sorry, but no. This is a Zoi/Ami story. An explanation on the love affair during the Dark Kingdom and why Kunz was so zealous of Zoi will come later on, and there will be some awkwardness between the two for a moment. But other than that, she's not interested and he's busy getting busy with Minako. Hope you don't hate that too much and still enjoy the story?

Anyway! Here's a new chap! Enjoy!

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**4**

She had been in the city for less than two hours, and she could already feel it.

It had first started on the plane, actually. And she had known the plane was nearing its destination long before she could see the city below, with the captain's voice announcing their arrival. There had been a slightly tingling feeling at the tip of her stomach she had first mistook as excitement; she had, after all, wanted to come here for practically her entire life. But as she made it to land and got off the plane and found her way into the city, she realized that feeling in her stomach, that pull that was tugging increasingly and insistently at her mind was not just her excitement.

Her brothers were here. She knew it in her guts, and now she just had to find them.

Born and raised in San Francisco, her father had been a field service technician that had been sent to work in Japan for a whole year in his youth. The typical, handsome, silky blonde haired and blue eyed man with a charming attitude had surely played more than just a few tricks, for there had been a beautiful, deep green eyed Japanese woman hanging off his arm by the time he made it back to the US.

Her parents had been deeply in love from day one. Completely devoted to one another, Zoe had always considered herself lucky for having such wonderful, loving parents. Which was probably the one real reason why it had taken her so long to come to her mother's homeland; as an only child, and after the nightmare she had put them through the year she went missing, she had never found it in her heart to leave them behind.

Money, of course, had been another issue to take under consideration. Not exactly poor, she didn't come from a wealthy family either, and though her parents savings and maybe the help of a scholarship could have easily opened up the way to Tokyo right after high school, she knew there was just no way she could have made it back home to visit for the holidays every year.

Deep down inside, and even before finding out the truth about herself, she had always known that once here, she would never go back. And as the years passed by and her dreams finally revealed their hidden truth, the need to find her brothers and her liege kept on being put off, losing against the guilt of leaving her parents. True, she could have came here for a little trip on vacations; but besides the fact that she wasn't sure she would be able to remember how to go around the city without getting herself lost no matter how well she knew the language, she had known a month, or even the entire summer would never be enough. And again, she didn't have the money to make it back to visit every year.

In the end, fate made the decision for her.

She mourned for her parents, of course. And losing then both so abruptly hurt. But with no known family left and all alone, she had finally found the final push that set her into motion.

Modern technology proved to be very helpful in her task, and she managed to get everything done and ready in a matter of two weeks. She sold her father's car, the house, and everything in it. Keeping only that which held a sentimental value and she considered irreplaceable, she packed all that, along with her own belongings and clothes, and shipped it off to the small apartment she found on the internet, right in the middle of Juuban district.

She wasn't one hundred percent sure her brothers were there. But it was as good as a start as any, since she remembered the Senshi either lived here, or were around the area often enough. With the help of the internet, she had kept a watchful eye on them over the years. And it was because of that that she knew Beryl had lost the war, for they were all, including Tuxedo Kamen and a few more Senshi she never heard of before, still alive and looking after the city.

Or they had been, up until five years ago or so; there had been no more recently need of the superheroes to be around. She only hoped things didn't change that much in the five years of peace, and that they were still here. Or, more accurately, she hoped He was still around.

He was all that mattered. And if things were still as they had been seven years ago, then it was obvious he was close to, if not to all of the Senshi, then at least to Sailor Moon; the girl was the Moon Princess, after all. And maybe -hopefully-, by finding her liege, she would also find her brothers.

It had taken her long enough, but she had finally made it. And now here she was, spending her very first day in her new and very own apartment; she could now start her search.

But first, she had a few more practical issues to attend.

The apartment came with a beautiful opium wooden bed and brand new mattress, a simple yet comfortable black double couch, and a used though still in perfect condition fridge. It made the getting settled part easier, but she still needed food to fill her fridge, kitchen utensils, sheets and bed covers, and a nice, puffy pillow. And a brand new coffee machine, of course. She needed that if she even pretended to survive a single day.

She still had her cellphone, and she knew she could trusted its GPS so she could go out and around the city without having to worry about getting lost while going in search for shops where she could find the needed items. She still had her old number and provider until the end of the month, but searching for a new, local service provider was probably a good idea.

She had taken care of all the paper work and done all the needed arrangements so that she could finish her last year of college here. But summer had just started, and finding a job was also a good idea. Though the money she had got from selling the house, along with her parents' savings and her own represented more than a generous amount of money without her having to struggle, she didn't particularly like the idea of sitting around and doing nothing; she hated feeling herself useless.

The few belongings she had kept and shipped were already there and waiting to be unpacked. But she decided to leave that for later, getting her suitcase into the bedroom and then proceeding to empty its content, placing her clothes on the awaiting closet.

Once that was dealt with, and knowing she should start unpacking the rest -which wasn't really that much, anyway-, her eagerness and excitement of finally being here got the better of her. The afternoon was still young, and she wanted to go out and see the city for herself. And, she could shop for the things she needed, keeping herself wide awake and in bright daylight to fight the jet lag while at it.

Getting out of her traveling clothes, for her legs were already resenting being imprisoned in jeans for over fifteen hours now, she searched for fresh clothes. The weather was nice, so she opted for a green cargo miniskirt and a white draped tank top, throwing a lose white shirt over it just in case, knowing she could shove it into her bag if the day turned out too hot. Slipping into her favorite chocolate colored rubber flip flops and taking her green crossbody bag, her keys, wallet and cellphone, she headed out, ready to experience Tokyo.

.-.

By the time the sky was changing colors, day giving way to the night, she was still out on the streets. She had made it back to the apartment once, when her brand new sheets, pillow, two frying pans, a saucepan and a nice set of kitchen knives, had made it difficult for her to walk around the street. But the second she had put the new items, still in their shopping bags, down on the floor, out she went again.

She knew she needed furniture, but for now, she figured it was best to go for the more basic items. She had already ordered a nice set of plates, glasses, and cups which would be delivered to her door the next day, along with a nice coffee table to go along with her couch.

It was amazing the wide variety of things she was only now realizing she needed. She had gotten herself a nice, translucent curtain shower with a bubble design over it, and she was already thinking of what kind of puffy shower rug she wanted to get to go along with that. But just because at each corner she either saw something she liked, or that gave her new ideas on how to decorate her new apartment, didn't mean she allowed herself to go crazy about it; though money was not an issue right now, she didn't want to spend it all without knowing when would she be able to earn some.

Her walk around had proved to be fruitful. Besides finding the needed items, along with the location of different shops where she could get those she had yet to buy, and getting to know her new surroundings, she had been able to pinpoint the spots where that tug, that pull inside her would get stronger. She hadn't been able to actually know the exact location of where that pull was trying to take her, and she hadn't seen any familiar faces around. But the pull was there, and she had memorized the places and locations in her mind so she could come back and search for them.

But that would have to wait a bit longer. The flight, along with the entire afternoon spent out and walking around the city, was beginning to take its toll on her. She was tired.

Only now remembering she still had an empty fridge to worry about, she decided she would go for a light, healthy early dinner. She had a lot to do tomorrow, but she trusted she would find the time to make it to the supermarket for groceries. She still needed a coffee machine, a fact she knew she would recent and regret in the morning; but there was a nice coffee shop near her place. So deciding to make a quick stop by the market to get some fresh fruit, milk, and maybe some other refreshment that would caught her eye and interest, she decided to call it a night.

Rearranging her bag over her shoulder, she made her way to the market she knew was only a few blocks away from her apartment.

Checking she still had enough cash on her -she had spent quite an amount of money just that day, after all-, she walked in. It was dark outside already, but there were many people around; mostly young, and a few couples here and there going around the isles, ages going from mid twenties to mid forties, and she guessed they were all just about to go home, making a stop in the market with probably the same intention as herself.

Grabbing a basket from the entry door, she made her way to the long line of fridges on the back. The wide variety of milks surprised her, and she found she had to read all of the packages to try to figure out which one she wanted to take. Finally deciding to go for the soy milk, she then proceeded to eye the long line of juices and flavored water brands; though she was planning on coming back the next day to fill her fridge, she did need something fresh to drink tonight.

Taking two bottles of different flavored water, she then made her way to the fruit stand. Again, the wide, colorful variety both surprised and delighted her. The mix of scents that reached her nostrils reminded her that she hadn't have anything to eat since she got off the plane, and her stomach growled lowly in reproach.

Deciding a nice, big fruit salad was the best way to compensate for it, she placed her basket on the floor going for the peaches, grabbing one and tasting it lightly in her hand first. She reached it to her nose, breathing in the fresh scent. But as she did so, something else caught her senses.

There it was, that tugging feeling again.

It was strong. Stronger than before, when she had been walking around the streets and had been able to feel them, somewhere around. Yet it was somewhat faint; her lack of familiarity after being away from them for so long may explain that, but she knew, instinctively, what that faintness meant.

One of them was here. On that very market, on that exact moment.

Still with the peach in hand and close to her nose, she risked a look around, trying to find the pull's source. Which one of them was it? How would they react to seeing her, after all these time? Would they forgive her for what she had done?

The darkest part of her mind reminded her of all the wrongs she had made, of all her mistakes and all the wrong decisions. She couldn't bear the thought of them hating her, yet she couldn't stop herself; with her heart pounding fast and heavy against her chest, she let her eyes search through the faces, excited, anxious, and scared out of her mind.

And when, finally, her green eyes landed on the tall figure standing across from her on the other side of the fruit stand, an unreadable look upon ice blue eyes, her heart stopped dead on her chest and her breath got caught in her throat.


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: all and any Sailor Moon character belongs to Naoko Takeuchi. I just own the idea for this story. So don't sue me, but please don't steal either!

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**Melinda:** hi there! I normally write about Haruka and Michiru, and though sometimes the Shitennou are around as well, this is the first time I make Zoi a she. So I wasn't sure anyone would like this… so thank you for letting me know what you think! Since you've probably never read any of my other stories, I should warn you: I've been accused of loving my cliff hangers, which I totally do, and though I try to write as much as I can whenever I have the time, I usually don't have much of that, so… I apologize for any delay in posting new chaps.

Anyway, here's a new chap. Enjoy!

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**5**

That lingering feeling had turned into an insistent thundering in his mind, and it had been driving him crazy all day.

He knew Zoisite was in town.

He just knew it, with extreme certainty. And he had been wanting to go out and search for her, following that link to wherever it may go, knowing that, wherever it was, it would lead him to her. But work had stopped him from doing so, having to sit tight and listen to his clients whine about the unforgiving wife and the insistent mistress.

He often wondered about the incredible ability the rich and powerful had to always get themselves into all kinds of trouble regarding matters of the heart. Or, more precisely, matters of their bed and with whom they shared it with, and how that affected, more often than not, either their business, their social status, and their inherit and wealth. Or all three, all at once.

Not that he minded. It was their inability to keep their pants on what assured him a paycheck.

Though it represented a bigger paycheck, and an even busier schedule, criminal law was something he had never felt quite comfortable with; he didn't like the idea of representing someone that may be guilty of a crime, helping them getting lose and out on the street again. And after he gained all his memories back, he just couldn't bear the thought. Though not of a supernatural nature, some men were real beasts, and he knew he would never be able to just do his job and turn a blind eye to a defendant's crimes.

So he left the job of both chasing down these men and then defending them to the police officers and criminal lawyers respectively. He felt much more comfortable dealing with commercial and business law, getting into a bit of the domestic side of it when their clients and their eccentricities required him to do so; marriage was nothing but a business deal to most of them, after all, and as such, he was the one in charge of making sure his clients wouldn't lose it all when getting caught being unfaithful.

But today had been a particularly hard day. It had been difficult for him to concentrate with Zoisite jumping into his head at all times. He had found himself drifting off, turning deaf ears to his clients and partners, thinking of Zoisite instead.

And he just couldn't stop thinking about her. Was she alright? After coming back from death, had she been injured, somehow? Where had she been all these years? And, more importantly, did she remember anything?

He cleared his throat, shaking his shoulders uncomfortably. She had to remember at least something, or else he knew he wouldn't be able to sense her at all. He just hoped she didn't remember _everything_...

He could only half explain himself if he took under consideration the state of mind he had been when Beryl had first taken him. Even thinking about it was more than enough to send waves of raging fury, washing all over him and thundering down his veins.

The maddening thirst for revenge had been Beryl's free ticket into his mind and soul, and the almost desperate need to keep Zoisite safe, to shelter her no matter what had always been there with him during those dark times. But once Beryl took over him, that deep, true, completely chaste love he had felt for her had been turned into something dark and sickening, completely corrupted and depraved. And he could never thank the Gods for that small little lingering sense of sanity still left in him during those times that had kept him from actually acting upon that feeling.

A few embraces and kisses, he could live with. If things had gone any further than that, he knew he would never be able to look at her in the eyes again. It would surely be weird enough as it was.

But it never went beyond that, though the wish to protect her had always been there. He could still vividly and painfully remember the feeling of her as he held her on those last moments, when he had been unable to protect her from Beryl's wrath. And even to this day, he still hated himself for being so unable to keep her safe.

It had been his inability to protect her that had first started everything. Him going mad with his thirst for blood in a desperate cry for revenge; Nephrite torn between keeping Kunzite from killing everyone responsible, and just going out in the hunt with him; Jadeite left alone and in pain, the broken link to his lost, poisoned brothers poisoning him in return, while still trying to desperately reach Zoisite. And Zoisite...

They lost her long before Beryl ever got to her.

He had failed his baby sister twice. And it was the guilt that that knowledge brought with it that got him so worried about her over the past seven years. He just wanted to see her, to know she was safe and sound. He needed to know she was alright.

A short and to the point phone call from Jadeite confirmed his suspicions.

"She's here," was all the blue eyed man said to him over the phone. But it was enough for him to know he had been right in his guessing.

The bond between them was weak, and would remain vulnerable until the circle was completed. And then it would take time for them to be able to pick up on each of them and be able to set them apart one from the other. But as a telepath, Jadeite was more sensitive to even the slightest of changes in them. The trick about his powers and his keen sense of his brothers, was that Jadeite could always feel the others, as long as they let him; the bond between them had to be welcomed, wanted and sought for for the blonde man to be able to pick on it, regardless of the physical distance.

Hiding things from the telepath to keep a sense of privacy had required them all quite a bit of training in matters of the mind to be able to keep the blonde man away from their personal business. And it had been because of that, because of Jadeite's particular powers that they had first found out about their Prince's little romance with one Moon Princess; though Endymion had tried to hide it from everyone, including them, Jadeite had been able to pick on it. But, even though they had all opposed at first, it had been Jadeite the one who had been able to feel Endymion and Serenity's love, understanding how deep and real it truly was.

And it was with Jadeite's insistence that they had finally agreed to let the Prince visit his beloved, with at least one of them going with him to keep a watchful eye. And then, of course, they had all ended up developing a personal interest in the Moon Princess' personal Guardians. But that was a completely different story. Or four, to be more accurate, each of them taking different directions.

The possibility of Zoisite being unable to sense them, or her link to them being weak and vague was very real. Adding to that the fact that she was by herself, and was probably -hopefully- looking for them as well, all three of them agreed to it; they would have to pay careful attention, to try and pick up on her track.

And so here he was now, walking around the streets and following that pull. Each step making him more anxious and eager as he searched all around, until, finally, that feeling tugging at his mind forced him to a stop, and he found himself standing outside a small though packed market.

Without a second thought, he stepped right in.

He walked through the aisles, searching. Completely ignoring everyone around, he let his ice blue eyes scan the place; his own anxiety confusing his sense of her, making it hard for him to pinpoint where exactly was she among all the people in there.

For a moment, he felt like yelling out, ordering everyone out of the place. It was frustrating, having all these people around, both distracting him and getting on his way. But he was able to control himself, letting out a frustrated growl under his breath and turning on his heels, willing himself to go all over the market again. She was there, and he knew it, he just had to go all over the place again, more carefully this time.

But as he turned around, ready to do exactly that, his eyes landed on the person standing by the fruit stand, not three feet away from him.

She was right there, picking up a peach and then reaching it to her nose. She looked exactly as he remembered her, yet she looked completely different. Her pointy little nose, her high cheekbones, all green eyes and blonde hair.

It was styled slightly different, her hair; tied in a lose, messy bun at the back of her head, it cascaded down her shoulders and back in a curly wave of sandy blonde hair. There was a hoop ring decorating her nose, a helix on her left ear, and a stud tragus on her right one, both coexisting perfectly with the small, green earrings decorating her earlobes -zoisites, he knew; he didn't need to look closer to know that. And as she stood there, reaching a peach to her nose and breathing in its scent, he was able to see, despite the many little wristbands, the small compass decorating the inside of her right wrist; it was modified, with the end pointing south longer than the rest, going about two inches down her arm, on a sign that he was perfectly able to recognize, for it was the emblem she had once worn proudly, indicating her rank and status as Endymion's protector.

Though the rings and the tattoo portrait her as the young, modern woman she was, it was touching, to know she had picked that one symbol to carry with her forever.

Used to seeing her wearing man clothes, the miniskirt and tank top were surely a new look on her for him. A look he knew he would have to get used to, for she no longer needed to hide her gender anymore, and she was, after all, a young woman.

He stood there, frozen to the spot and taking her in. For a moment, it felt as if time stopped and his ears turned deaf to all the buzz around. Her back straightened up suddenly, and if as in slow motion, he watched as she started scanning the place all around. And when, finally, green eyes, big and rounded gazed into his ice blue ones, he realized, with a deep sense of joy, pride and relief washing over him, that she had sensed him too, just like he had sensed her.

On their own accord, his feet guided him to her. And he looked down on her; a part of his brain telling the other it was real, this was really happening. She was there, standing right in front of him, and she was real. But it was when he saw a clear flash of uncertainty dancing in those familiar green eyes when he realized, he had been standing there, towering over her and staring down for a little too long, probably frightening her with his silence.

He never wanted to see fear in her eyes.

Words failed him, and a faint though deeply felt smile finally made it to his lips as he encircled his arms around her shoulders, bringing her close to him. Closing his eyes, he breathed her in; the sweet, familiar scent of flowers lingering in her hair -she always smelt of flowers- filling his nostrils. He felt rather than heard the gasp escaping her as her body trembled slightly, and she pulled away from the embrace, looking up at him. Moisture came to her eyes and she blinked several times, trying to fight the tears off.

"Kunzite… I…" she trailed off, as words seemed to fail her too. "I'm so sorry…"

"It's alright," he assured her, already knowing what she was about to say. "There's nothing for you to apologize for," he said, with a firm, but still tender tone. "Nothing."

Her lower lip trembled, and she gazed up at him for a moment. Her tears finally winning the battle and cascading down her cheeks as she lunged herself at him again, hugging him close.

"It's good to finally see you, little one," he finally said, whispering tenderly.

He felt her hands, slender and shaking, clutching tightly to the material of his suit jacket. Her soft sobs shaking the slender body in his arms, he held her close, knowing and understanding how she must be feeling right now, and then smiling softly when she nuzzled her face against his chest.

And he held her close, resting his cheek on the top of her head, breathing her in and then letting out a sigh of relief. Finally, he had found his little sister.


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: all and any Sailor Moon character belongs to Naoko Takeuchi. I just own the idea for this story. So don't sue me, but please don't steal either!

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**6**

"I missed you," he heard her whispering softly.

And he smiled, gently tightening his grip around her shoulders. "I missed you, too," he said, breaking the embrace just enough to look into her eyes. "You had us worried about you."

A frown came to her features then, and she blinked, sniffling. "Us?" she repeated. "You mean… the others?" she asked. "Endymion?" she then added, in a low whisper.

He nodded. "Everyone's here," he said, already knowing what she was really asking. Wiping the tears off her cheeks, he smiled. "And we've been waiting for you."

She smiled then, nodding her head; a mix between a gasp, a hiccup and a sigh escaping her as she did so.

Noticing the looks people around were sending them, he finally let go of her, placing a hand on her back instead. "Let's get out of here," he proposed.

Again, she nodded, ready to follow.

Remembering on the last minute the basket resting forgotten on the floor, she picked it up, and he walked with her to the registers to pay for her groceries. Once that was dealt with and the lady on the register handed her the paper bag, they stepped outside, and he offered to walk her home.

She accepted, nodding her head, and they started walking in silence. And it occurred to him only then, although they had known each other for years on a different life time, they were completely strangers on this one; he didn't even know her name.

"I'm Zoe," she suddenly said, as if reading his mind, as she extended her free hand out to him. "Zoe Calhoun," she introduced herself. But then she frowned slightly, tilting her head to a side. "Or, Calhoun Zoe," she corrected herself. "I still need to get used to that whole name thing…"

He chuckled, nodding his head. "Nice to finally meet you, Zoe Calhoun," he said, accepting her hand and shaking it. "Saitou Kun. American?" he guessed.

That would explain why neither of them had been able to sense her all these years. With such a distance, of course it would be hard to pick on even the slightest, most vague of signals she would have naturally been sending out when she first started remembering. And he had no idea of when exactly had she first started remembering, how much did she remember, and how long had she been trying to reach any of them.

"Born and raised in San Francisco," she said, answering his question. "My mom was Japanese, though."

"Was?"

"She died last month," she answered, shrinking her shoulders when he frowned in sympathy. "She was on a train with my dad when there was some sort of mechanical breakdown and the train derailed."

"I'm sorry for your loss," he offered his condolences. "I shouldn't have asked."

Zoe shook a shoulder, reacomodating her crossbody bag over her shoulder. "It's ok, you didn't know."

He noted the way she kept on looking up front, avoiding his gaze. They were perfect strangers walking together down the street, and he was a tall, large male, a good head taller than she was. And even though the suit didn't exactly make him look dangerous, it did add a -completely deliberated- serious, imposing air to his final appearance, highly contrasting with her cargo miniskirt and her flip flops; he could understand why she was being particularly quiet. But that wasn't it, and he knew that perfectly well.

He had expected some sort of bizarre, strange atmosphere between them. And he tried to come up with a way to break it; to explain he hadn't exactly been himself seven years ago, and that though he did want her to be a part of his life, he didn't want nor expect for their relationship to go down that particular road…

"Zoe, I…" he began, just as his cellphone went off, interrupting him.

Raising a hand up in silent apology, he took the device out of his pocket. Looking at the name flashing on the screen, he looked at Zoe once more. "I'm sorry, I have to take this," he apologized.

She simply nodded in understanding, taking a few steps to a side to give him some privacy. A small gesture he certainly appreciated as he turned to a side, answering the call.

"_Hey, handsome,_" Minako's cheerful voice came from the other side, inevitably bringing a small smile to his lips. "_Am I interrupting you?_"

"No, no, it's fine," he said, deciding that telling her about him finally finding Zoisite was not something he wanted to do over the phone.

And certainly not with the girl in question standing barely a few feet away; there was no way Minako would keep herself from asking ten thousand questions, and on that moment, he couldn't really answer. He didn't even know the answers to those questions himself, yet.

"_I just got off work and was about to go home,_" the blonde explained. "_The girls are already waiting for me. Rei is coming and we're having a movie night._"

Though more often than not the blonde would spend the night at his place, officially, Minako shared an apartment with Makoto and Ami. Usagi had moved in with the Prince, and Rei had chosen to stay at the Temple, but the shared apartment was their usual meeting spot, and the headquarters for all their 'girls only' and movie nights.

"Sounds like fun," he said, nodding his head.

"_Yup!_" Minako exclaimed, happily. "_I just wanted to call you first. So how was your day? Anything interesting?_"

_You could say that_, he thought to himself looking back at the young blonde woman standing a few feet away from him. "Just the usual business talk," he said out loud instead. "Nothing for you to worry about."

"_Ok,_" she said, giggling softly into the phone. "_I gotta go, I'm getting into the elevator now,_" she then said, knowing she was surely going to lose connection the second she walked in there. "_But, we're still on for tomorrow, right?_"

"Of course," he said. "I'll pick you up at seven."

"_Great! Perfect!_" she agreed. "_I'll see you tomorrow, then. I love you._"

"I love you, too," he said, in a low whisper, looking back at Zoe and wondering how much of the conversation she had heard.

But as he ended the call and turned back around, the faint smile dancing on the young woman's lips and the slightly arched eyebrow let him know that she had certainly heard, if not all, at least that last part of the conversation.

"Sorry about that," he said, raising his cellphone before putting it back on the inside pocket of his jacket.

"It's ok," Zoe said, shaking her head. "Girlfriend?" she guessed, as they started walking again. And when he nodded, she nodded as well. "How long have you been together?" she asked, curiously.

"A little over a year."

Green eyes blinked up at the answer, once, before going wide and opened, and he frowned.

"You look surprised," he noted, wondering why it was such an interesting topic of conversation in the first.

"Well, yeah…" she said, scratching the back of her neck and tilting her head to a side. "I mean, don't take this the wrong way, but…" she began, as the smile that had been tugging at the corner of her lips finally made it to her soft features. And it wasn't hard for him to know, it was a teasing one. "I never really pictured you as the domesticated kind of guy…"

Ice blue eyes narrowed then. "I'm not."

"You sure?" she asked, openly mocking him now.

"Yes," he said, firmly.

She shook a shoulder at that, chuckling. "Alright, if you say so…" she chuckled again, shaking her head. "So, what is she like?"

Not knowing where she was going with all these questions, but deciding it was probably better to get the topic of his relationship with his girlfriend -and that twisted relationship they had had back on the Dark Kingdom-, he decided to humor her.

"You already know what she's like," he said, confident enough that her memories from their past lives would allow her to understand his words. And when green eyes blinked in pure surprise, proving him right, he nodded his head. "Though she's a bit more… buoyant… than she used to be."

"Venus?" Zoe asked, still blinking in surprise. "Really?" she asked again when he nodded his head. "Wow… I mean… I… I'm so glad for you!" she finally stated. "I mean, I know how much she meant for you, back then."

He nodded his head, though the past was not the reason why he was with Minako now.

Yes, Venus had meant everything to him once. But that was before, and this was now. And the truth was, while trying to earn himself his Prince's trust back again, working on his own remorse and fighting his own demons to even begin to try to feel worthy of such trust in the first place, the cheerful, optimistic blonde had found her way straight to his tormented heart. Her beauty, her spirit; the confident, loyal woman was just as captivating as the proud, strong leader of the Senshi, or even more so, and even though he had tried, it had been impossible for him to resist her.

But he didn't tell her that; he didn't quite feel comfortable sharing his feelings so openly. And in any case, the insides of his relationship with the Senshi of Love were no one's business, but his own. But there were some business regarding feelings and relationships he had yet to talk about with Zoe.

He frowned, looking down at her. "I hope this is not… weird," he said, hating himself for being unable to find better, more suitable words.

"No, of course not," she assured him. "Why would it be weird?"

It wasn't hard for him to read right through her. Her answer came too quickly, and she was now avoiding his gaze again; she was playing fool.

Placing a hand over her shoulder, he gently but surely forced her to stop and look up at him. "You know why," he said. A blush came to her otherwise fair skin, and green eyes blinked repeatedly up as if trying to fight the red on her cheeks, and he took his hand off her shoulder. "I don't want…"

"It's ok, seriously…"

"You're a beautiful young woman," he continued, trying to explain. "You are, but…"

"Kunz!" she exclaimed, using that old nickname and successfully making him shut up as she raised her free hand up in the air. Her blush bright and deep, she closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath, before looking up at him again. "I'm a lesbian."

He blinked at that; two silvery white eyebrows going up.

There had been some of that in the past, judging by her sort of involvement with Sailor Mercury, and he knew he shouldn't be surprised. But just as it was for himself, what happened in the past didn't exactly mean it would happen in the present. And there had been no indications of her sexual orientation seven years ago. Though maybe even she hadn't known herself back then? She had been, what? Seventeen?

He blinked again. "Oh," was all he could say.

Because, really, what was he supposed to say to that? He didn't particularly care about her sexual orientation and with whom she chose to share her bed with. It didn't change his mind and feelings towards her; it didn't change anything. And in any case, it made things easier between them, knowing there was no way she would ever have a romantic interest in him.

It was kind of a relief, actually.

"Yeah," she said, tilting her head to a side. "So, you know… you're all handsome and all, and I'll admit I may have a thing for blue eyes," she continued, joking now. "But that flat chest?" she said, waving her hand from side to side in front of his chest for emphasis, and making him blink down at the slender hand barely a few inches away from him, "not really working for me, sorry."

He blinked again, once, before a deep, rich laugh erupted from his throat.

Yes, he certainly wasn't her type. At all.

She smiled up to him, sheepishly. "No offense," she added, shrinking her shoulders and laughing lightly as well.

"None taken," he reassured her, shaking his head, amused.

"And I'm kind of hoping we could tag that whole thing as a really twisted turn of events and just…," she waved her hand around, a bit embarrassedly now, "forget about it."

He nodded, giving her an approving smile. "You've got yourself a deal."

"Great!" she exclaimed, smiling again, and looking as relived as he felt.

He chuckled, slightly nodding his head again, and they started walking again.

"How long are you staying?" he asked, getting their conversation back into more important matters.

There were many things about her he didn't know of, and the matter of her stay in town was of great importance. There were many factors to take under consideration; friends, family, college. Maybe even a significant someone waiting for her back in San Francisco.

He didn't particularly like the idea of her leaving; they all had been waiting for her, to be once again reunited, for too long. But it was a possibility, and staying or not was a decision she had to make on her own.

"Oh, I'm not leaving," she said. "You're not getting rid of me that easily."

"That's not…"

"I know," she interrupted him before he could say anything. "I'm just messing with you. But, you know…" she trialed off, shaking her head. "I figured, it took me long enough to get here, so, I'm not going anywhere."

"Do you have any family left?" he asked.

Though he guessed it was probably a sore subject, considering her parents had died so recently, he found the need to ask.

He found it curious, how all of them had no family left. He never met his father, and his mother past away when he was in his first year of college. Jadeite's mother died when he was little, and his absent father, a business man married to his job who had died a little over a year ago, had left his only child under the care of his grandmother, who had passed away when he was still a teenager. Nephrite's mother had died during labour, and his father had died about five years ago. Even Endymion was an orphan, though out of all of them, the Prince had probably suffered the most; his parents had died when he was only a child, and he couldn't even remember them.

"An uncle," Zoe answered. "But I've only seen him a couple of times," she added, with a clear hint of detachment to her voice. "I doubt he'd notice I'm gone."

He nodded, not really finding the need to make a comment on that. If she didn't care, then he certainly didn't care either. "How long have you been here?" he then asked, completely changing the subject.

"Less than a day," she answered, gifting him a sided smile when he blinked at her. "Just arrived this morning. So I'm kind of new in town."

"You certainly are," he agreed, nodding his head. "So how are you settling down?" he asked, already deciding he would help her out in whichever way he could.

"I'm working on it," she answered. "I got an apartment, and I have a bed and a fridge," she counted, "but I kind of need everything else, now," she added, shaking her shoulders, amused, before her eyes went wide opened again, and she stopped dead on her tracks. "Crap!" she exclaimed, in English this time, as a frown made it to her features. "I forgot to buy a coffee machine!" she exclaimed, in an incredulous, slightly painful tone. "Damn it!" she finished, again, in English.

He smiled. "I wouldn't worry so much about that," he said, confident. "I don't have a coffee machine, either."

"Yeah, well, I kind of need my morning medicine," she grunted.

"Don't worry, you'll get it," he said, being deliberately vague about it. "So what are your plans?" he asked, completely changing the subject, deciding to leave the matter of delicious, tasteful coffee and where exactly he usually got it from every morning for later. "Work? School?"

"I filled in an application, to transfer here," she answered, still mournful for her lack of a coffee machine, "so I can get my degree."

"So, college," he said, nodding approvingly.

"Computer engineering," she provided, now smiling smugly and proudly up to him.

"Impressive," he conceded. "Not surprising, but impressive nonetheless," he then added, remembering perfectly well her incredible ability to absorb knowledge like a greedy sponge, easily mastering any kind of machinery and technology in record time; she was probably what some people called a tech-geek.

"Thanks!" she said, smiling widely. "So, what about you? What are you up to these days?" it was her turn to ask now, as they stopped right in front of a modern though modest apartment building. "Besides dating Venus, I mean," she added as a second, teasing thought.

He granted a small, sided smile at that. "Her name is Minako now," he provided. "I'm a lawyer."

"That explains the suit," she noted, nodding her head. "Still involved in the political aspect of justice, huh?" she then teased, though the smile she gave him was both approving and proud.

"More or less," he granted, tilting his head.

"What about the others?" she asked, curiously and eagerly.

"Jadeite works as a physiotherapist, and Nephrite's an astrologist," he provided.

"Figures," she said, chuckling lightly.

"Though he's not really practicing now, but rather teaching others the art of reading the stars," he said, allowing a hint of amused teasing to leak through his words. "Endymion is a doctor," he then added.

Zoe smiled then; softly and proudly. And the look of nostalgia and longing that flashed through green eyes let him know, she was probably -certainly- dying to see them all again. Specially the Prince. But easily reading the tiredness in her eyes, and guessing they had stopped there because she now lived in that building, he decided to leave her to rest.

"You'll see them all soon enough," he promised, gently nodding his head.

The smile she gave him, soft, genuine, was touching. And she nodded her head in agreement, clutching the paper bag to her chest. "This is me," she said, pointing at the building right behind her.

"I know," he said, nodding his head. "I have things to do first thing in the morning, but I'm sure I can cancel my other appointments and..."

"Oh, no," she was fast to interrupt him. "You don't have to..."

"I want to," he said, firmly, not giving room for argument; getting all five of them finally reunited was far more important than fixing his eccentric clients' messes and lives. "That is, if you want to, of course. I don't wish to impose on you..."

"I don't have any furniture yet," she warned, playfully, "but you're welcome to come and visit me any time," she offered, smiling softly.

He smiled too. "Alright, then," he said, nodding his head. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Ok," she agreed, smiling softly and happily.

"Get some rest," he advised, unable to keep the brotherly, commanding tone off his voice.

"I will," she said, nodding her head.

He vowed lightly to her in goodbye, and was ready to turn around and leave her to rest, when she called out to him. Turning back around, he saw her placing the paper bag on the floor, uncared for and forgotten for a moment, before she threw herself at him, encircling her arms around his waist and resting her chin on his shoulder.

"I missed you," she whispered softly.

Surprised at the sudden move, he blinked, once, before returning the embrace; a somewhat sad, understanding smile making it to his lips as he encircled his arms around her shoulders.

"And I really am sorry..."

He frowned at that, gently tightening his hold around her. "There's nothing to be sorry about," he assured her. "I'm just glad I found you."

She pulled again from him. A regretful, uncertain frown decorating her features as she looked up and into his ice blue eyes. "But..."

"Not buts," he interrupted her. "You're here. That's all that matters."

Zoe smiled again, softly, albeit a bit unsure. Green eyes blink repeatedly, fighting the sudden moisture in them, and chuckled lightly. But before letting her tears come down her cheeks once more, she lunged herself at him, hugging him close. And this time, he returned the embrace without a second thought.

"I love you, Kunz," she said, using her old nickname for him once more.

There were no words to describe the almost unbearable sense of happiness and fulfillment that rushed through him. She was real, and she was right there, in his arms. And she had missed him just as much as he had missed her.

"I love you too, little one."


	8. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: all and any Sailor Moon character belongs to Naoko Takeuchi. I just own the idea for this story. So don't sue me, but please don't steal either!

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**7**

He rested against the table, arms crossed across his chest, patiently waiting.

Nephrite was occupying a chair right next to him, legs stretched out and crossed over the ankles, arms behind his neck in a relaxed posture. The brunette seemed to be asleep, but he knew better; that secretly amused smile tugging at the corner of the man's lips betrayed him as they could both hear Kunzite's steps. Hands behind his back, the heels of his boots hit the wooden floor as the tanned man seemed to be determined to dig a hole into the floor, impatiently waiting and walking around the antechamber in circles.

The impatient pacing finally came to an abrupt end when the door opened up, and two blondes walked in.

"Finally," Kunzite grunted. "What took you so long?"

"My apologies," Jadeite said, grinning. "Zoisite here decided to teach some guards a lesson..."

"They need to take their duties seriously," the green eyed blonde stated, shaking a shoulder. "And they also need to learn not to underestimate an enemy based on size."

A set of clutches was heard around, and Kunzite shook his head, frowning disapprovingly, yet still somewhat amused. "What did you do?"

"I did not harm them, if that's your concern," was the easy reply.

He chuckled again at the statement, amused.

That lesson was something they had all learned during training; though shorter than the rest of them and not exactly built but rather slim and slender, Zoisite was as much of a mighty opponent as any of them. And anyone who had ever caught a glimpse of the Shitennou either in battle or in training knew better than to encourage a fight with the young blonde.

Strong and powerful, with very well trained bodies and minds, each of them had particular abilities as well as specific powers.

An experienced archer with extremely good aim, Jadeite's arrows were something any opponent should fear; if by a strange twist of fate -or because that had been the intention-, the blonde's arrow was not fatal, then the poisoned tip would surely do the rest. Though he could handle a sword and was just as physically strong as any of his comrades, his mind was far more fearful than his muscles; a well trained telepath, he was not only able to obtain any needed information out of an enemy without the need of words being voiced, but he was also able to create illusions to mislead an opponent, playing with their minds and winning the match with barely any physical force being used.

Nephrite's ability to hear the stars' whispers had been the first sign that had set him apart from others, for only those blessed by Mother Earth could posses such power. Though not always a clear message, the stars never lied, and the brunette always listened to what was yet to be, passing on the message to his Prince and comrades. And though his power was not something that could be used during battle, his tendency to always carry not one but two straight-bladed odachi swords in sheath at his back, having mastered the art of handling both at the same time, had earned him quite a name and reputation.

Kunzite was, undeniably, the most dangerous of all four. A natural, brilliant strategist, the tanned man was the most feared swordsman in the entire Kingdom, taking second place only after Endymion himself in ability and agility, though not in endurance. When in combat, no one could match the leader of the Shitennou; strong, fast and agile by his own means and hard training, his power relied on the ability to absorb energy from others, which in return he could use to feed his own stamina, becoming unstoppable and tireless.

Zoisite… well, Zoisite was entirely different.

The first thing that set Zoisite apart from the others was a matter of gender; the green eyed Shitennou was a woman. Though that was a fact others were unaware of, and so the more obvious treats and details were what people usually first noticed on their young comrade; she was not as strong and powerful as Kunzite, she could not handle odachi swords with both hands, and archery was not her forte. But her aim was nothing short of excellent, and she was extremely talented handling knives and shurikens alike. Her ability to turn water into ice and create ice daggers had proven to be quite handy when in battle, and extremely fatal, and having lived on the streets for so long, she certainly knew how to fight; though she was strong and agile, it was her tendency of being rather slippery what set the difference.

Yes, she did not look as strong or tough as her comrades. But looks could be deceitful; she was extremely smart, she was fast, and she played dirty. She could take down an opponent just as easily and efficiently as the other three, and she knew exactly how to turn the tables around, using her opponent's strength and height to her own gain, always finding an opening to throw one of her deadly daggers.

Trainees' first official assignment was that of sentinel, posting guard either on the watch tower, the west door that led to the woods, or inside the Palace to keep a watchful eye on the hallways. And seeing the younger Shitennou as someone around their age and not as physically dangerous as the other three, trainees often made the mistake of pissing her off, wanting to test the slim, short 'man' and 'his' fighting skills. They usually did so during training, with Kunzite somewhere nearby to assure she wouldn't actually hurt them -not badly, at least.

She had rightfully earned her place as second in command, and everyone respected the youngest of the Shitennou. And those who didn't -not right away-, had learned the lesson the hard, painful way, earning themselves more than just a few deep cuts and broken noses in the process.

"Should I call for a physician?" Nephrite asked, smiling amusedly.

"Just a few scratches here and there, nothing to worry about," Zoisite said, shaking a shoulder. "Though they may need a needle and thread," she then added, as a second thought. "I said I didn't hurt _them_, but I cannot say the same for their uniforms," she finished, rather proudly and as an explanation when one white eyebrow went up in silent question.

Again, a general chuckle was heard, and a sheepish, smug smile made it to Zoisite's lips.

"Alright then," Kunzite said, clearing his throat and getting everyone's attention. "Let's begin, shall we?"

"Begin what?" Zoisite asked, frowning.

"Your lesson, of course," the white haired man answered, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"What lesson?" she asked, now confused.

"Dancing lessons," Nephrite offered, standing up from his chair and approaching the green eyed Shitennou. "You need to learn how to do that properly."

She frowned at that, insulted now. "I beg your pardon?"

"Now, when a man approaches you and bows in greeting," Kunzite said, sending a warning glare to Nephrite to stop him from answering to Zoisite's question and start an argument, while gesturing with his hand for Jadeite to do as he just said, bowing gallantly to her, "the polite, expected thing for you to do is to curtsey, holding your skirt with both hands…"

"What skirt?" Zoisite asked, looking up at Kunzite as if the man had grown a second head.

"Curtsey," Kunzite repeated, this time in a clearly commanding tone and completely ignoring Zoisite's question. "Hold out your skirt, bend your knee, and bow your head."

Green eyes narrowed dangerously at him for a moment, before she did as she was told, holding an imaginary skirt out of her body and bowing to a waiting, highly amused looking Jadeite. But she did so with a complete lack of grace, gifting the other blonde with a wide, ironic smile.

"Good," the white haired man said. "But try it with less mockery next time."

"Next time? What is this?" she demanded, now turning around to look straight into his deep blue eyes. "Endymion, what is the meaning of all this?"

"I believe it's quite obvious," he simply answered, shaking a shoulder. "We are teaching you how to dance."

"I already know how to dance!" she exclaimed, exasperated now. "And why would a man ask _me_ to dance?"

"Zoisite," Kunzite called out to her in that tone of his that left no room for argument or even questioning, making her turn around and back to him. "Now, when a man bows at you and offers a hand out asking for a dance," he said, while indicating with his hand for Jadeite to repeat the gesture, "you curtsey," he continued. "You curtsey," he repeated, in an ordering tone when she just glared at him.

She continued to glare for a few seconds before finally giving in, once again grabbing imaginary skirts and bowing her head.

"Remember, less mockery," Kunzite said, approvingly. "Now, you take his hand," he said, pointing at Jadeite and his waiting hand, still hanging in the air waiting of her to take it, "and dance."

"There is no music," she pointed out.

"Sweet Heavens, she's impossible!" Nephrite complained.

Obviously not pleased in the way she kept delaying her lessons, the white haired man took her hand and forced it into Jadeite's, to then walk behind and around her and guide her other hand to the blonde man's shoulder.

Jadeite was fast to move then, placing his free hand on the small of her back. Bringing her closer to him to a respectable distance, he held their joint hands together in an impeccable dancing position, and Zoisite barely had the time to blink up in confusion at the sudden awkwardness invading her before the other blonde started waltzing around, dragging a suddenly very clumsy Shitennou around the room with him.

"Ah, ah, look up," Jadeite indicated, placing a finger under her chin. "You are not supposed to look at your own feet."

"What are…" before she could even finish her question, Jadeite spun her around, letting go of her hand and causing her to trip over her own feet. "Oh!"

Right before she could fall, Nephrite stepped in, helping her gain her balance back while taking her hand, starting to waltz around the room once more. She followed him, clumsily and awkwardly, growling when the tall brunette laughed at her.

"You are not supposed to lead, little one," he pointed out, amused. "The gentleman leads, and the lady follows."

She growled again, now jumping back and away from the brunette. "I am not a lady!" she exclaimed, pointing out her uniform and stating the obvious.

"Yes, yes," Kunzite agreed, nesting his chin on his hand for a moment and frowning. "We'll have to work on that."

"What?" Zoisite asked; eyes going wide and opened and all color draining off her face.

"I have just what we need, right here," he said, finally leaving his resting spot against the table and revealing a white, large package resting on it as he did so.

He turned around, taking the package in his hands and approaching the open mouthed girl. There was fright in her eyes; a lingering betrayal she was not allowing herself to feel nor believe, battling with her confusion at the prospect of them being so suddenly willing to let her secret out.

And he smiled to her, reassuringly and tenderly. "Open it," he encouraged.

With slightly shaking hands, and with her green eyes lingering on his own blue ones for a moment, she did as she was told, pulling from the white ribbon and opening the package. And she barely looked into its content before green eyes darted up to him again, frowning.

"What…"

"It's for you," he offered before she could finish her question.

"We've noticed the way you looked at Mr. Souza's fabrics the other day," Nephrite put in, "wondering what it would be like to wear one of his dresses, if only just once."

She blinked, frowning now, and probably remembering the last time Mr. Souza had come into the palace. They had all been there when the man arrived at the Palace to meet with one lady of the court or another, having just arrived from a council meeting in the city themselves, and had witnessed -not for the first time- the petite, eccentric man as he ordered his assistants to follow him, carrying a hoard of fabrics of all kinds, colors and patterns with them.

She blinked, still looking pale. "I… I never said that…"

"You didn't have to," Jadeite said. "I didn't intrude your mind either," he was fast to add when two blonde eyebrows frowned disapprovingly at him.

"We know how hard this is for you," Kunzite said, gently placing a hand over her shoulder. "And we cannot change that."

"I know," she said, nodding her understanding. "I know, and I never asked…"

"But you still want it," he put in, making green eyes look up at him. "You wonder what it would be like to be yourself, to not have to hide. And we came up with... a plan," he said, waving his hand around a little, "to give you exactly that, if only for a night. Now, I'm afraid this is not as fancy as one of Mr. Souza's," he added, smiling when a hesitant, trembling hand went back to the package's content, gently caressing the light green colored fabric, "but we cannot afford to call too much attention, and we hope you still like it."

"It's… it's beautiful," she said, retreating her hand from the soft silk and looking up at them all. "But I could never wear this here..."

"Who said anything about wearing it here?" Nephrite asked. "You were the one saying it would be fun to go to one of those balls in the city, were you not?" he asked, rhetorically. "And what better way to celebrate your coming of age than granting you this one wish?"

Moisture came to her wide, rounded eyes then. A soft, chocked sound that resembled a surprised gasp escaped her trembling lips right before she covered them with both hands.

As an orphan, she had never had a family, and was not really sure of her own age, not knowing when her birthday was. But Nephrite's study of the stars and planets on the sky had allowed him to track down that date, looking for the right alignment that marked the birth of a destined one. With no other source of information, and knowing Nephrite never joked nor lied about the stars, they had all took his word and considered that date as their little sister's birthday.

"With Jadeite's help and you wearing that," Kunzite put in, "we can disguise ourselves and go there tonight," he stated, as the ghost of an amused smile came to his lips when wide green eyes blinked up at him. "You didn't honestly expect for us to let you go alone, did you?"

He took the green silk out of the package, gently resting it against Zoisite's frame. It contrasted with her fair skin perfectly, matching her eyes and complementing her honey blonde hair, and he knew, his little sister would look beautiful in it.

Gifting her a tender smile, he cupped her warm cheek with his hand. "Happy birthday, little one."

.-.

Blue eyes opened up, and he stared up at the wooden ceiling of the cabin. A smile came to his lips as an image of a beautiful young blonde girl wearing a green dress came to his mind.

Lately, he had found himself dreaming of the past more often. Though he could remember all the major events and his life as Prince Endymion in general, he was suddenly remembering the little, every day things. Specific details and events were now coming to him in dreams.

He remembered camping out with Nephrite while on their way to the Northerner lands, and the brunette telling him what the stars said about him, about a love so true and so strong that could transcend time. He also remembered not believing a word of what Nephrite had said to him that night, three years prior to him ever meeting the Moon Princess.

He remembered what Kunzite had given him as a present when he became of age; a magnificent, beautifully handmade sword that he had carried with him until his dying day, and the advice of always using his head, but knowing when to hear his heart, for when they battled to be heard, it was usually the heart the right one to follow. Words that had proven to be right time and time again, during the Silver Millennium, and in his life as both Mamoru, and Tuxedo Kamel.

He also remembered Jadeite telling him he could sense more pure stars the first time they had visited the Moon Palace. Back then, Jadeite had insisted on there being more Senshi than the four protecting the Princess, though not even the Princess herself knew of them; a fact that matched the mouth to mouth tale of legendary warriors who guarded and protected the galaxy. A lifetime and a few years later, fate had proven the blonde's suspicions right, for Mamoru had met and fought alongside those very same warriors.

He remembered all that and much more now. But lately, it was Zoisite the one he dreamed about the most. He remembered her slightly fidgeting hands and her fast, nervous movements as she bowed to him when Kunzite had first brought her to meet him. He remembered her cast down eyes as she let Kunzite reveal her secret, and then those same green eyes going wide and opened when he had simply laughed, stating he did not care about her gender; as long as she was a destined one and proved herself worthy, he would not question Mother Earth's choosing.

He could vividly remember her rich, deep laugh, and the way she could always come up with a witty remark to deflate Nephrite's ego. And how she would never back down from one of their arguments and competitions, yet she would always jump up and take down anyone who dared talking badly of the brunette with her bare hands. And maybe a dagger or two.

He remembered her being like that. Serious, proud and loyal, she could always just as easily be competitive, a bit whiney from time to time, and even bratty every now and then -but only behind closed doors.

Her pride and her emotions had always represented a conflicting front for the blonde. She would always complain about their brotherly complex towards her, complaining and even mocking all and any gallant gesture towards her, yet she would just as strongly get deeply touched and grateful whenever a small gift would be given to her. Like the silver and zoisite necklace that had been a gift for her first birthday with them; an item she had worn at all times and never took off again, hidden under her uniform. Or the green silk dress they had given her for her sixteenth birthday.

He smiled in remembrance as images from that night came to his mind.

Help for their little escapade had been needed that night. Zoisite had never worn a dress before in her life, and the rest of them, though lectured in the art of taking a dress off a woman, had no idea of how to put one on. And then there was the matter of privacy, of course. So they had called for their personal seamstress; the only one in the entire Golden Palace that, aside from the four of them, had known Zoisite's secret. It had always been Mrs. Asai the one helping the blonde with the art of disguising herself, masterly and subtly changing her uniform so that no one would even suspect what laid under her clothes, and then helping her out in areas the rest of them could not really help her with.

A few more nights like that one followed, with Jadeite's power of illusion disguising them and Zoisite dressed in a simple, beautiful dress -always a new one-, as they would go to the city and enjoy a night as simple commoners. People in the city would always welcome the travelers that would show up now and then; men admiring and wanting to know the beautiful maiden with golden locks and brilliant green eyes, laughing and celebrating with the rest of the citizens, who would politely decline every man's invitation and would dance only with her brothers.

A sleepy sigh and a head coming to rest upon his chest forced him out of dreamland and his own memories and mind, and back into the present, where another blonde, beautiful young woman slept beside him. And he smiled again at the pretty picture she made; her petite form curled up next to him, round hips and marvelously shaped legs twisted around the sheets and then capturing his own. Her golden, endless locks, lose and framing her body, matched her fair skin perfectly, as satin and lace covered her sculptured body in pink.

Under other circumstances, he would ponder on how such item could ever be called a sleeping gown. It was small, and fitting, and it kissed her body in all the right places before ending right over her thighs. The sight of her in it was enough to either convince him to stay in bed, hugging her close to him, or to take the item off her.

Normally, he would prefer the latest. And, considering the item in question itself, he guessed she preferred it too; it had probably been the original intention when buying the thing in the first place. But she had been too tired after spending the entire day out, hiking and swinging around on a small river they found up the mountain. A few romantic, passionate stops here and there, and then making the way down as day started giving way to the night. It had been a long day, and by the time they had finally made it back to the cabin, they had been both too tired to do anything but fall into the sheets, exhausted.

Staying in bed with her, holding her small frame against him and breathing in that sweet, soft vanilla scent that lingered in her hair, was something he enjoyed doing, regardless of her state of clothing. But on this particular morning, someone else was on his mind.

Again, under any other circumstances, he would not allow anything or anyone disturb his moments with her. And he certainly wouldn't be thinking of another woman while laying next to his girlfriend in bed.

But the one in his head that morning, the other blonde, was not just any woman. She was the little sister he had once had, a lifetime ago; the little sister he had wished for, instinctively and for unknown reasons, while growing up this time around. She was the little sister he missed dearly, and who he wanted back into his life.

He had been dreaming about her a lot lately, remembering the little things. And there was a nagging little… something… slowly but steadily growing inside him. It had been the same with the others, right before each of them had finally made an appearance into Mamoru's life, and he knew, without a doubt, she was close.

Gently and lovingly caressing a lock of velvet like blonde hair, he pressed his lips against the beautiful blonde's forehead. She sighed and snuggled closer in her sleep in response, and he smiled; he loved this woman, with all his heart. But the one occupying his mind now was just as important to him, in completely different ways.

Zoisite had been the heart of the Shitennou; the one that had really brought them together and bonded them, to themselves and to him, well beyond their duty. Their big brother complex towards her had been both their weakness and their strength, and now he knew, just like before, they needed her back with them to be as they once were. A body could not work without a heart, and they needed theirs to be complete.

And he could barely wait.


	9. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: all and any Sailor Moon character belongs to Naoko Takeuchi. I just own the idea for this story. So don't sue me, but please don't steal either!

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**A.N.:** Chap 8 already, and it's all mostly about Zoisite, and no Ami around. I realize this, but I did say this is mostly centered around Zoi, and I need to explain a few things. For those of you out there giving this story of mine a chance, I promise there will be romance further on! Along with (hopefully) a few good laughs here and there to lighten the mood.

Meanwhile, here's a new chap! You know the deal, R&R! Enjoy!

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**8**

Her stomach made a clear statement, loudly complaining about its emptiness, and she cracked one eye opened.

The sun pouring in from the window surprised her; she was usually wide awake long before dawn. But between the jet lag and the emotional night she had had, meeting Kunzite, had had her up and awake longer then she had originally planned. She had stayed in bed, wide awake and staring at the ceiling, as memories from long ago filled her mind.

She didn't really know at what time she had finally drifted off to dreamland, but memories, questions, doubts, fears, and a good dose of excitement had kept her awake until well past midnight. Adding the natural disorientation after losing a day when coming here, she figured it was only normal to be this tired.

Even if it was only nine in the morning.

She let out a sigh, rubbing her eyes and stretching herself in all ways and directions possible over the bed before finally kicking off the sheets. Getting off the bed, she shook her head and the remaining sleep off of her, going to her closet and opening it up.

Coffee. She needed coffee. Right now.

Not bothering on taking off the white tank top she had slept on, she threw the first thing she found, a shirt and jean mini short that had once been decent, normal pants and had most certainly seen better days before fate, scissors and a sudden attack of inspiration on her part ended its glory days. Fishing for her flip flops, she slide them on and made her way to the door, taking her keys and a few bills on the way before stepping out of the apartment.

.-.

Carrying a cardboard cup in one hand, he made the way up the small set of steps, resting against the rail and shoving his free hand inside his jean's pocket. There was a nice breeze around, and he welcomed it gladly; the blue and white plead, short sleeved casual shirt was fresh and light, but he wasn't particularly fond of summer time. Not when he was in the city, at least.

"What floor did he say?" his companion asked, staring at the bellboard, and he stared at him in return, wondering how on earth was the guy able to look cool and relaxed with that mane falling all over his back and shoulders.

But then again, his ego wouldn't let it have it any other way. The guy loved his hair, and he certainly liked to look good at all times, what with that casual, stylish fitting gray shirt and his slim jeans.

It was an outfit he would pick for going out for a drink, not something he would ever be caught wearing at nine in the morning. Not unless he had spent the night elsewhere…

He shook a shoulder. "He didn't," he answered. "But it's ok," he was fast to say when one brown eyebrow went up at him, questioningly, "she's coming down."

The tall brunette shook his head, looking amused over something. "You know, sometimes," he started to say, "that thing you do is kind of creepy," he stated, right before taking a sip form his own cup; a second, untouched one in his other hand.

He shook his shoulder, not in the least offended by the comment. "You can sense her, too," he pointed out.

They both turned around and faced the building doorway; the glass panels allowing them to see inside.

"Not in a creepy way," the brunette added, as they both saw a blonde young woman stepping out of the elevator at the end of the entry hallway.

And the woman just stood there, frozen to her spot for a moment; hands still up and to her head as she had been just dealing with her hair, and green eyes looking straight at the both of them. And the ghost of a smile tugged at the corner of his lips, proudly and knowingly.

She had sensed them, too.

Blinking, the girl shook herself out of her surprise. Finishing with her hair and holding it up in a messy bun at the back of her head, she took the few steps separating her from the doorway a bit hesitantly, looking at them through the glass for a moment before finally opening up the door.

"Zoe Calhoun?" the brunette said, not really needing a confirmation on her part. Still, she nodded her head, and he smiled. "I'm Sanjouin Masato," he introduced himself. "Taitou Jei", he then said, introducing him as well. "Nice to finally meet you."

"Kun told us where you live," he provided, noticing the surprise still dancing in her eyes. "Hope you don't mind…"

"N-no, no," she was fast to say, shaking her head. "It's ok."

"He also said you may need this," Masato added, as he handed her the untouched cardboard coffee cup. "Where you going out?" he asked, again, not really needing an answer to his question, but still asking all the same, if only out of politeness' sake.

She smiled at that. "I was going for coffee," she said, raising the cup.

"You're welcome," the brunette said, smiling and bowing his head to her.

She chuckled, nodding her head. Her sandy blonde curls jumping softly behind her as she did so. "Yeah, thanks," she said, taking a tentative sip from her coffee. And then she moaned; a curious frown making it to her soft features as she stared at the cardboard cup intensely.

"I know. Great, isn't it?" Masato said, smiling proudly and knowingly.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed, still looking at the cup. "Where did you get this?"

"His girlfriend makes it," he provided, not sparing a good measure of teasing towards the brunette in his words. "She owns this coffee shop, not that far from here."

"Tell your girlfriend I love her," she stated, smiling approvingly.

"You should try her pastries some time," Masato added, smiling. "She makes wonders in the kitchen."

"I have to meet this girl," she said, chuckling.

"All in due time, little one," Jei said, nodding his head. "All in due time."

She chuckled again, a bit solemn this time, and he knew, she didn't need him to explain any further to understand. She probably lacked the details of it, of the how and when and where, but she was smart enough -always so, so smart- to understand, he was not talking about Masato's girlfriend -although he was-, but about the others.

He was talking about _them_. The ones they had all had to face, at one point or another.

"Yeah, right," she mumbled, scratching the back of her neck. "Later."

It was her gesture more than her words what made him realize something.

That was a subject she was willing to leave for later, and he was perfectly fine with that. But it was the gesture in which she stated that, the awkwardness in her movement and what it brought with it what surprised him, even if he knew it probably shouldn't.

She was uncomfortable.

Not exactly ready to shut the door on their faces and get away from them as fast as her legs would carry her, and, possibly, unwilling to do so. But still, the easy, relaxed air, the familiarity that had once been between them was not there anymore. And of course it wasn't there; they were, after all, perfect strangers to each other.

It hurt, but it didn't make it any less reasonable.

"Yes, later," Masato agreed, nodding his head, missing the subtle signals or not, Jei wasn't sure.

"Anyway," she said, shaking herself off of her own discomfort and plastering a smile on her face-still a bit awkward, though this time for entirely different reasons- and pointing at the door behind her. "Would you like to come up?" she asked. "It's literally empty, but… you know…" she trailed off, as he now understood the reason behind her smile.

Well, if they were going to get acquainted with one another like they used to, they had to start at some point, right?

"Yeah, sure," he said, nodding his head and gifting her with a small, honest smile.

She returned it and stepped away from the door so they could both step inside. She then led the way to the elevator, and the three of them patiently waited for their ride.

They made the way up to her floor in silence. Not exactly a comfortable one, but not entirely uncomfortable either; it was just… pregnant. The kind of silences that proceeded a long, heavy, important conversation; the silence that allowed the parties involved to put their thoughts in order before speaking.

He knew this, because he had needed that silence himself. He had had years of it, actually, far away from everyone and everything.

So, instead of taking the time to gather his thoughts, he took the time to take her in.

She looked every little bit like the little sister he had known and loved. And yet, she looked completely different.

For one, she was wearing female clothes without having to hide that fact from the rest of the world under some fake name. Though she was not exactly feminine; not in the strict sense of the word. The white and blue striped shirt, unbuttoned, spoke of ease, of the lay back attitude any other self secured, modern young woman had. The flip flops on her feet only added to that effect, while the light blue frayed mini shorts and the lose white tank top stated, clearly and undeniably, that she was a woman; all long, sculptured legs and round breasts. Free and unbidden, he noticed. Which was, quite possibly, the biggest shock her final look represented to him. He couldn't remember ever noticing her breasts, nor any other part of her clearly feminine anatomy for that matter; not even when they would sneak out of the Palace with her wearing a dress.

He had always known, but strangely enough, he had never really noticed. And he wondered if she was aware of it, of the silent statement her clothes were making; she was a woman, and she was not willing to hide herself. Not that there was a need for it anymore, but still.

All in all, it was a good change, and he was glad. Finally, she was able to be herself.

The soft ringing sound indicated they had reached their floor before the metal doors finally opened up, and the blonde young woman guided them down the hallway and up to a door. Producing a key out of her back pocket, she opened the door and then stepped aside, gesturing for them to come in with her hand.

And he smiled, amused.

A woman in all and every possible way, and still, she was such a nice, perfectly well mannered gentleman. Some -very- old habits were hard to kill, it seemed.

"You look different," Masato said, voicing his own thoughts back at the elevator.

She blinked at that, surprised. "I do?" she asked, touching her own face with her hand and frowning.

The brunette nodded his head, shoving one hand into his pocket and raising his coffee cup. "You look like a girl," he stated, teasingly, before taking a sip.

Green eyes narrowed at him then, if only for a second, before she chuckled, despite herself. "I _am_ a girl," she stated, knowing full well the reminder was not needed.

"You look good, little one," he conceded, smiling softly and tenderly.

She blinked again at that. And when Masato only nodded his agreement, a burning blush came rushing to her cheeks just as she rolled her eyes, waving a hand around and completely and silently dismissing the comment.

And his smile widened at that.

There it was, the girl he remembered. Proud and more than just a little bit vain, though never one to take any form of chivalry towards her easily. Specially not in the form of a compliment coming from any of them.

"I'm not so little anymore," she pointed out. "I'm twenty four years old."

"Yeah, well," Masato said, shaking shoulder. "The old man is thirty now," he said, knowing there was no need to say who the 'old man' was, "so that still makes you the little one in comparison."

She chuckled, shaking her head in amusement as she placed her cup on the otherwise empty coffee table. "God, I missed you," she said, in a low whisper, and with such honesty to her words it moved him.

"We missed you, too," Masato said, as his previously mocking smile turned softer now.

She nodded, letting green orbs wander around the room for a moment as she buried her hands on the back pockets of her shorts. Letting out a sigh, she finally looked up at them with so much barely controlled pain dancing in her eyes, it broke his heart.

"I'm sorry," she finally said, in a low, soft, sorrowful whisper. One blonde eyebrow quivered, and her lips trembled for a moment as she took a deep breath. "I really am so sorry…"

"It's alright…" Masato tried to say.

But she shook her head, firmly, shutting him up as she looked straight at him in the eye. "No it's not," she argued. "It's not alright."

"Zoe…" he began, but again, and just like with Masato, she shut him up with just one look.

"Kun already gave me the speech, ok?" she said. "And yes, it's great to finally see you guys and for us to be together again, but it's not alright," she said, firmly. Her voice trembling at the end of her statement. "It's not alright for me… I know it was my fault…"

He didn't need to read into her to be able to see the pain swirling in her fast watering eyes. And it pained him beyond words, for her to even think herself responsible…

"Don't say that…"

"Why not?" she questioned, taking a step back when he made a move to approach her. "It's the truth!" she exclaimed, raising both hands up in the air. "I was weak!" she exclaimed again, now placing both hands over her chest. "And that… fucking bitch saw it, and I was just not strong enough…"

"What are you talking about?" Masato asked, suddenly confused.

"It was my fault!" she answered him, in a broken tone. "It was _all_ my fault."

He tried to reach out to her the moment one single, crystal tear rolled down her cheek. But she stepped backwards again, ashamed and defeated, and angrily whipping the drop off with the back of her hand.

"Everyone died because of me, and I'm so, _so_ sorry…"

Blue eyes looked into his own for a moment, as Masato seemed lost with her words. And he was too for a moment, until it suddenly clicked, and he looked at her, straight into her watering green eyes.

There was pain, and guilt, and sorrow, and torment. And yes, there was shame in her eyes too. But not the kind he would have expected to see there…

"You don't remember, do you?"

"Of course I do!" she answered him. But he knew, she didn't; not everything.

"It's ok," Masato put in, guessing where he was going with his question, as well as knowing what her answer meant. "There's no need to…"

"Wait…" she interrupted, eying the both of them.

He knew that look. He knew those studying green eyes and what the look upon them meant. She was too smart for her own good, and if she hadn't known not two minutes ago, she certainly knew now; there was one major event she was clearly not remembering.

"Remember what?"

Nothing but silence met her question as he exchanged glances with Masato for a moment. And the silence, prolonging a little bit too much, only served to irritate and distress her more.

"What?" she demanded, firmly. "What is it that I'm not remembering?"

"It's…"

"Don't," she exclaimed, interrupting Masato before he could even say much at all and raising one long, warning finger his way, "say it's nothing," she continued, warningly, "because it's obviously _something_," she stated, in that firm, demanding tone Zoisite would have only used with them when in battle, when the need to take up her role as second in command had been greater than camaraderie and familiarity. "So tell me."

Green eyes turned to him, and not for the first time, Jei hated his power. Because there was nothing but determination in those familiar eyes, and he knew, with no need to look into her mind for it was written all over her face, what she was going to say before the words left her mouth.

"Show me."

He didn't need to look at Masato or even caress the surface of his mind to know, the brunette was silently begging him not to. And he certainly didn't want to, but those eyes were hard to ignore, and a stupid little voice inside him told him she had a right to know; she had been tormenting herself for too long already over a crime she had never committed.

She was the victim in the turn of events that had led to their doom, and yet she was blaming herself for it. For everything.

Yes, he hated himself and his stupid ability to search someone's mind and then bring something, a deep, hidden memory, forward. It had been bad enough the first time around; he certainly didn't want to see it again. Specially not through her eyes.

"Jadeite, don't," Masato said, warningly and begging, using that old name if only to appeal to him, to that part of him that certainly -obviously- didn't want to do it.

"Show me!"

"I'm sorry," he whispered, right before reaching up a hand, placing it over her forehead.

A warm, invisible energy erupted from his hand, and he struggled to keep his eyes opened, fighting against the images that soon filled his mind, knowing she was seeing them too. Looking straight into her green, watering orbs, going wide and open in horror, he did as he was told, showing her the one memory he was sure she was better off without.


	10. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: all and any Sailor Moon character belongs to Naoko Takeuchi. I just own the idea for this story. So don't sue me, but please don't steal either!

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**9**

The sound of Usagi's sweet laughter as she talked to Rei over the phone graced his ears, and he chuckled softly, lightly shaking his head.

They were planning a meeting, all five of them, and though he knew Usagi was dying to tell them all about the amazing sights, the breathtaking sunsets and the cool nights, with the wide, velvet sky and how beautiful the million little stars looked like at such height, he knew, that was most certainly not what they were going to end up talking about. Minako's 'talent' -as she would put it herself- to get all kinds of details out of her friends and her incredible ability to be perfectly able to look at him in the eyes as if she was blissfully unaware of the details of their private life never ceased to amaze him. And he certainly didn't need to know what specific details the blonde woman knew of…

But he knew women were like that -or so he heard-, telling each other all kinds of details during those 'girls' talk'.

They had just arrived from their trip, and before even taking care of their bags and all the laundry waiting to be taken care of, Usagi had decided calling her friend was far more important. But he didn't mind; he knew how close they all were, just like he knew, over the years, Usagi had grown out of her childish habits.

Or at least some of them.

Her grades had improved considerably during her senior year in high school. And to everyone's surprise, she had then decided to go to business school, stating that if she was going to be a queen some day -in the long, very distant future-, then she needed to know about management and business politics. It was a very valid reasoning, and he was immensely proud of her.

She still complained every single time she had to study for a test. But to Luna's never ending eternal gratitude and amazement, the little Moon Rabbit no longer needed someone to lecture her for hours before finally deciding to sit down and study; she did so by herself. Complaining, and maybe even whining a little right before doing it, but still.

She was no longer the messy girl Luna accused her of being during her teenage years, though she had yet to learn how to do anything in the kitchen except for a big mess. And she had yet to find a cure to her own clumsiness; a treat she was eternally embarrassed of, and something Mamoru secretly hoped she would never grow out of. She was far more graceful and self confident than she used to be, and her shoes no longer represented a danger to his own head. But she still had her moments, tripping over her own feet and forgetting how to avoid an object -like a couch, or a chair, or even a small rock on the path-, somehow always managing to fall right into him. And he knew he would never grow tired of her adorably burning cheeks as she clutched herself to him; she wouldn't be his Usako without her clumsiness.

"At what time is Minako getting out?" her voice reached him again, this time closer, and he turned around to see her walking into the living room; phone held between her ear and shoulder as she carried a handful of dirty clothes with her. "Great! Tell Mako she may wanna close up earlier. And make sure Ami's there as well, ok?" she was saying into the phone, sending a sweet smile his way as she made her way to the laundry room. "It's summer, for Pete's sake! That girl needs to learn how to put her books down."

He chuckled at her statement, following her petite form with his eyes as she disappeared behind the door.

Shaking his head again, he left her to her conversation and her chores, making his way to their bedroom. Knowing he should probably be helping her out, he went for the tallboy, opening the first drawer and searching through it. Finding what he was searching for, he took the small, red velvet bag into his hand, stepping away from the tallboy and going to the wide window instead.

His incredibly blue eyes gazed into the morning sky, contemplating the few clouds as they rolled by as a small smile made it to his lips; that pull, by far stronger than ever before in this lifetime, gently though insistently tugging at his mind. At his heart.

The memory of Zoisite wearing her green dress, the silver necklace decorating her long neck, the green stone hanging proudly from it came to his mind. A fine, small piece of jewelry, much like the one kept inside the little velvet bag he now held in his hand.

He hadn't known what strange impulse had made him buy it, all those years ago. A part of his brain had reasoned with him as he paid for the item, it would make a lovely gift for a girlfriend. But when the girlfriend came, and though he had gifted her different kinds of jewelry over the years, much like the ring now decorating her finger, giving that one necklace to her never even crossed his mind. In fact, he had forgotten all about that one necklace for years, with far more important, urgent matters than a simple piece of jewelry he didn't know why he bought in the first place occupying his mind; a yet to be born daughter and her life being in danger, an alien, evil force wanting to take over the entire universe, and then being dead for a few months. He had been quite busy for a while, there …

But now he knew. He had known for quite some time, now. Ever since he saw Kunzite again and memories, little, small -though by no means insignificant- events started coming back to him, he knew; it was not meant for his girlfriend, but for his sister.

The doorbell rang, forcing him out of his own thoughts. And, approaching the door, he knew who it was before opening it.

"Prince," Kun greeted, slightly bowing his head. A habit, Mamoru knew, the tanned man would never grow out of.

But even knowing this, and knowing Kun would keep on greeting him that way no matter how much Mamoru insisted for him to stop being so formal -they were friends after all, not to mention, civilians. At least for now-, it was the way he said it and the look in ice blue eyes that let him know, the white haired man was there for business.

He knew it, undoubtedly; he could feel it, tugging at his heart. And his next words only confirmed his suspicions.

"We found her."

.-.

She could literally feel the mud sticking to her skin. The filthy water chocking her, the stones scratching her bare skin, and the strong, calloused hands keeping her steady, immobilizing her, and bruising her; she could feel it all, just like she could see it clearly in her mind.

But it was the pain, that suffocating, unbearable pain deep inside her, tearing her apart, unforgiving, merciless, and so full of hatred what shook her off. It terrified her, and she jumped back from Jei's hand, desperately wanting to get away from the images in her head.

Falling backwards, she felt a pair of strong hands catching her before she could hit the floor. And though she knew, rationally, she knew, those hands meant her no harm, still, she pushed them away, turning around and half crawling, half running her way into the bathroom.

Lifting the lid, her entire body convulsed as she emptied whatever it was left from last night into the toilet. And when she was sure there was nothing left except for maybe vomiting her own stomach, she threw up again.

A gentle hand went to grab her hair, as another one caressed her back, soothingly, and she gasped for air, shutting her eyes closed and fighting her own swirling, turbulent emotions.

_It's an echo_, she told herself. _It's just an echo_, she kept on reminding her.

Because it was. Just like the feel of Beryl's evil hand manipulating her mind, twisting her memories and poisoning her soul. Just like Mercury's last, fatal attack, not two seconds after she had ran her ice sword right through the blue haired Senshi's abdomen; she could clearly remember the feeling of it, the ice burning her chest and mist penetrating her every pore, causing the forming ice to fill her, freezing her already forsaken, doomed heart, ending her.

It wasn't real, physical pain. It was a memory of it; an echo, imprinted in her mind and in her soul. It didn't hurt. It couldn't hurt her. It shouldn't, and yet…

Tears flooded her eyes, cascading down her cheeks uncontrolled as her entire body trembled. Desperate, broken sobs escaped her, and she could do nothing but let it all out, knelt next to the toilet and grabbing its edge tightly until her own fingers hurt.

"It's ok," Nephrite's… no, Masato. Masato's soothing voice reached her as the brunette gathered her sob shaken form in his arms. "It's ok now. It's over."

.-.

She cried harder at Masato's gesture, curling herself up to him as the tears cascaded down her redden cheeks.

He cursed inwardly, hating himself for causing her this pain. But before even allowing himself to go down the road of self loathing once more, he needed to make sure.

Kneeling down beside her, he cupped her wetted cheeks with both hands, forcing her to look up at him. Her eyes seemed transparent with her tears, and there was pain and shame, naked and exposed, dancing in there. But as she held his gaze, long, slender fingers curling tightly around the material of his shirt over his chest, Jei knew she understood what he was doing, and he had his answer.

She was there. Shocked, ashamed, hurt, vulnerable, and quite possibly, with a nasty aftertaste in her mouth. But she was still there.

And that was all that mattered.


	11. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: all and any Sailor Moon character belongs to Naoko Takeuchi. I just own the idea for this story. So don't sue me, but please don't steal either!

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**10**

After she calmed down, he had taken her into his arms, walking into her bedroom and helping her onto bed.

Knowing she needed to rest after relieving such traumatizing experience, he had made a move to leave her to it when her hands on his shirt stopped him. That look on her pleading, tearful eyes was something he simply couldn't say no to. And he had laid himself down over the mattress right beside her, allowing her to use him as her pillow, curled against his chest as he held a protective arm around her shoulders.

Jei soon followed, taking up the other side of the bed, and softly and soothingly caressing her back. And so here they were now, all three of them laying on the bed, with Zoe right in the middle.

Under any other circumstances, he would have thought the situation in which he now found himself inappropriate. And he wondered what Makoto would think of it. But he shook that thought away as soon as it came; the place in which they were resting now may be questionable, but they were doing nothing wrong. There was nothing even remotely sexual about the situation; fully clothed and currently staring up at the ceiling, they resembled little kids laying on their parents' bed rather than actual grownups.

"I'm sorry," Jei's barely whispered words filled the room, and he didn't need to look to know there was a look of immense regret dancing in the guy's blue eyes.

"Don't be," Zoe said, shaking a shoulder. "I asked you to…"

"No, not that. I'm sorry for that too, but what I meant is… I'm sorry for not being there."

He frowned at his friend's words, wondering how long had he been feeling like this. How long had Jei blamed himself? True, he had been the only one near enough, with Kunzite and himself being away, attending business of the kingdom in another town. And it had happened late into the night; late enough for Endymion to be either fast asleep, or playing Romeo and Juliet with the Moon Princess. But that didn't make Jei responsible in any way …

"There's nothing you could have done," she said, voicing his own thoughts.

"I could have stopped them," Jei argued.

"It wouldn't have changed anything…"

"You don't know that."

"Let's go down the 'what if' road, shall we?" Masato put in, interrupting the two. "Yes, you could have stopped them," he said, looking at Jei. "And killed them right on the spot," he added, knowing his blonde friend all too well. "Which, let's be honest here, was Kunzite's intention the second he found out."

"So that's how she got to him," Zoe reasoned.

"That's a fact, we're on the what if page right now," he said in a chastising tone, knowing how that little blonde head of hers worked, fully aware that she would still feel responsible for their falling, regardless of the events around it. "So, Jadeite goes to prison for murder, and still, everyone would have found out about Lord Zoisite here actually being _Lady_ Zoisite," he reasoned. "So she would have ended up in prison too, both of you heading straight to the guillotine, with Kunzite, Endymion and myself standing up for you two and trying to bail you out."

"Which would have sent you to the guillotine as well for treason," Jei added, easy following his reasoning. "So we're all dead, and Beryl would have ended up with the upper hand all the same."

"So much for the mighty Shitennou, huh?" Zoe put in, ironically.

"You gotta admit though, we were pretty darn good," he said, smiling widely now. "Up until that point."

She chuckled despite herself, agreeing with his comment. "God, I hate this," she stated, simply and truthfully.

And he let out a sigh, looking back up at the ceiling. "Don't we all?"

The question lingered in the air as silence filled the room once more; each of them mentally going through their own personal demons, if only superficially, as they just laid there, next to one another.

"You alright?" Jei asked after a long moment of silence, lazily and tenderly playing with blonde curls.

She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Yeah," she finally answered. "I'm just… you know…" she said, vaguely pointing at her head.

"Don't," the blonde man said. "Don't go there," he then said when green eyes blinked up at him. "It wasn't your fault. None of it was."

"Indirectly, it kind of was…" she argued.

"Maybe," was, to Masato's utter surprise, Jei's answer. "But then, maybe it was Kunzite's fault for going mad, allowing Beryl to take him," he reasoned. "Or maybe it was this guy's fault," he added, now pointing at him, "for following right after the old man even though he knew what was going to happen, with the stars telling him all about danger and dark forces and doom and whatnot."

"Or maybe it was _your_ fault," he said, arching a questioning eyebrow his way, "for not reaching her in time."

"Exactly," Jei agreed, nodding his head. "We can play the who's to blame game all we want, but it won't change anything," he reasoned. "We all have our own demons to fight, because, in the end, we all played our part, and we fell right into the trap, all in our own."

"Endymion didn't," Zoe pointed out.

"Only because Beryl accidentally killed him," Masato said, ironically and darkly amused over that fact.

Because, really, it was extremely ironic, for the evil queen to kill the one man she was obsessed with by accident when he jumped in the way to save the Moon Princess. The reason Beryl had fell under Metalia's spell, selling her soul to the dark, amorphous being was to get the Prince to herself, and forever rule the world beside him. The fact that Metalia's agenda was different from Beryl's didn't change things. Metalia wanted power, Beryl wanted Endymion. By getting the Prince, they would both have gotten what they wanted.

An entire kingdom -or two, actually- turned into nothing but ashes just to get Prince Endymion to herself, only to end up killing the one man she claimed to love. If that wasn't pure irony, Masato didn't know what was.

"He did the last time, though," he then added, as a second thought.

Wide green eyes turned to look up at him then, incredulously. "He did?"

"Oh, yeah," he said, nodding his head. "Little Moon girl saved him, of course. She saved us all."

"What happened?" she wanted to know. "After I…"

"Sailor Moon won, Beryl died, end of story," Jei answered. "Don't dwell on it."

The woman snorted. "Easy for you to say."

"No, it's not easy," Jei argued. "But we can't change the past, and we have to live with it. It's not pretty, and it sure as hell ain't easy," he said, as a bittersweet chuckle escaped him. "But if there's one thing I've learned, is this; you can ask for forgiveness all you want, from us, from them, from everybody. And you'll get it, too," he said, truthfully.

A surprising statement, Masato thought, considering the blonde man had yet to make amends of his own with one specific raven haired woman…

"But it won't make things any better if you can't forgive yourself," he finished.

"And how do I do _that_?"

"Still working on it," Jei answered, shaking a shoulder and chuckling now, if only to lighten up the mood. "I'll give you the recipe when I'm done."

"Please do," she said, nodding her head. "Sorry I killed you," she then added, turning her face around to look at him.

It was his turn to chuckle then, tilting his head towards her as a sided smile made it to his lips.

A beeping sound reached them all and they turned to look at Jei as the blonde took his cellphone out. He put it right back into his pocket moments later, with a knowing smile coming to his lips. And Masato didn't need to ask to know what the guy was smiling about as he got up and off the bed, excusing himself for a moment and then walking out of the bedroom.

A look at the young woman laying beside him told him she hadn't picked it up yet -she had yet to get used to it again, and she had been away for long; it was only normal for her to miss the slight changes around at such an early stage. So he relaxed back into the bed, allowing himself a moment of laziness in between the rather emotional moment from earlier, and the one he knew was just about to come.

"To be fair," he said, looking into her soft green eyes and continuing on with their conversation, "you were only doing your job."

"It wasn't my job to kill you," she argued. "That was just me being a psychotic bitch."

"And you were remarkably good at it," he complimented her, teasingly. "And, well, you've always been pretty damn good at stabbing people on the back," he then added, mimicking with a hand as he did so.

"Nice. Thank you for that."

"You're very welcome."

A strong hand met his stomach then. Not hard enough to actually hurt him, but strong enough to make him grunt out. And he blinked at her, once, before laughter erupted from his throat.

God, he had missed this. Arguing with her over anything and everything, annoying her and challenging her, knowing full well neither of them meant whatever insult -or hit- they would throw at each other.

And when she laughed along with him, he knew he had missed that sound as well. Not the wicked, mocking, sometimes downright hysterical laugh he had heard coming from her seven years ago, back at the Dark Kingdom, but the real one. The deep, throaty one that made her eyes shine in mirth, illuminating her face and making her look every little bit the beautiful young woman he had always known her to be.

Yes, a lot of things had happened, and Jei was right; they all had to live with it, and learn how to forget themselves.

Makoto had once explained to him why everyone had been so forgiving and understanding; they understood their minds had not been their own. Contaminated and manipulated, the Dark Kingdom's Generals had been nothing but empty shells that only resembled the once powerful, proud Shitennou in physical likeness, for their essence, their soul, heart and mind, had just not been there, whipped and erased, taken away from them. Older and wiser, the Senshi had been able to see and understand that, and the Moon Princess, always thinking with her heart first and foremost, simply didn't have it in her to hold any bad deeds they have done against them.

Particular stories and heart-related issues aside, they had all forgiven them. And Masato was confident they would all show his little sister the exact same kindness.

"How is he?" her soft, husky voice got his attention, getting him out of his own head, and he turned to look at her. "Mamoru," she provided, when he just looked at her.

He frowned for a moment, and she frowned too.

"That's his name, right?" she asked, a bit unsure now. "Chiba Mamoru?"

"Right," he said, "I forgot you actually managed to find out his identity."

A smile that was something in between proud and mocking made it to her lips at that. "You said it yourself, I'm good at what I do," she pointed out. "Being a crazy, heartless bitch included."

He laughed at her remark, and she laughed along as well despite herself. But then she stopped, suddenly sitting up on the bed.

Though she may have noticed Jei had been absent for more than just a couple of minutes now, Masato knew, that was not the reason why all laughter left her features. And as green eyes, wide and big, turned to look into his own blue ones, he knew, she could now clearly sense it, just as much as he did.

He smiled to her then. "Why don't you ask him yourself?"

She blinked at him, as if trying to understand and process his words. He knew her smarter than that, and yet, she looked lost for a moment, and he knew, she wasn't as lost as she was suddenly nervous beyond words, and maybe a bit scared.

Not that she had anything to be scared of, but he could understand and relate to the feeling…

Getting up and off the bed, he extended his hand out to her, smiling reassuringly when she just looked up at him for a moment before hesitantly taking his hand. He helped her up and then signaled for her to step out of the bedroom, following her closely yet still giving her space as she walked into the living room and saw the three men standing there.

.-.

When Jei guided him inside the apartment, Kun right behind him, and a young woman stepped out of the bedroom, her wide green eyes staring back at him in surprise and disbelief was the first thing he noticed. Those soft, familiar eyes, filled with uncertainty as she stood there, frozen to the spot, with barely a foot into the living room he had just walked in.

She looked different, and she looked exactly the same.

He could only remember one time when he had seen her this uncertain, this vulnerable, scared, and waiting for judgment. A lifetime ago, she had waited, just as impatiently and worried and silently anxious as she was right now for him to size her up, judge her, and see her fit and worthy. Only now they were not on Prince Endymion's antechamber, and she was most certainly not dressed in a trainee's uniform, disguised as a man. And she was older now, though still held that air of youth and freshness, of simple, undeniable beauty; only her eyes betrayed her, silently talking of wisdom, of secrets, regrets and experiences someone her age should not posses. And right now, she reminded him of that first time he saw her, and he wondered if this was just another dream.

But it was when the tears finally came to her eyes and with resolute, yet shaking movements she met the distance separating them when he realized she was really there. With guilt and shame filling green orbs that now seemed almost transparent with her tears and all the naked emotions swimming in there, she raised a hand to her heart, kneeling in one knee right on front of him and bowing her head.

"My Prince."

The low, trembling whisper followed by a low, broken sob reached his ears, filling the room and charging the air all around them, making it almost impossible to breathe.

And it broke his heart to see the proud, vain, strong Shitennou so vulnerable, willingly surrendering herself and waiting to be judged. So broken…

His heart felt heavy on his chest, yet filled with joy and fraternal love as he reached down. Gently cupping her chin in his hand, he gifted her with a small, gentle smile as her name rolled off his tongue without him even realizing it.

.-.

She had hated that name, for years.

She hated the way it had sounded on that woman's hissing voice. She hated the way it sounded in her nightmares, in the echoing, bloodcurdling whispers that haunted her at night. She hated it, because it always sounded like a cruel, never-ending reminder of her own sins, of her own weakness. But coming from him…

And the look in his eyes, so tender and understanding. Forgiving and loving. Accepting, as he offered her a hand.

She looked at his extended hand for a moment, hesitant. With slow, unsure movements, she took his hand and he helped her to stand up again.

It was more than she could take, and she was barely able to keep his gaze for a few seconds before she threw herself at him. His arms found their way around her shoulders, and she encircled shaky hands around his torso, hugging him close as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I missed you, little one," he whispered softly against her forehead, plating a kiss there.

At a loss of words, she could only offer him a tearful smile as he cupped her face with one hand, taking one of her hands with his free one and placing it right over his broad chest.

His hands were warm, just like the gentle smile dancing on his lips and the look upon his incredibly blue eyes. Just like the energy that came out of his hand, expanding from his palm and to his fingers, and out to her own long slender fingers. Up her arm and into her chest, she felt the familiar energy filled her body as a golden light filled the room, blinding them all for a moment as the other three reached out, placing their own hand over the Prince's shoulder, completing the circle.

When her vision finally cleared out, not without a tingling leftover of that golden, sacred energy pulsing through her, the first thing she noticed was the change on his outfit. No longer wearing the black fitting shirt and blue jeans he had been sporting not two seconds ago, he was now covered in black and silver armor.

It looked different from the one Prince Endymion used to wear, yet she was perfectly able to recognize the intricate pattern of thorn-less steams ending with one single, beautiful rose over the completely silver left breastplate. Silver epaulettes framed his shoulders, with the long black cape lined in red hanging freely down his tall frame. Black plackart and equally black sleeves of a thick, yet light fabric that was meant to protect him from weather of all kinds, ending on silver gauntlets on his arms to protect him from impacts, and silver fauld on his hips, with the black and blue belt safely keeping the silver blade in sheath. Knee cops and greaves made of the same silver, strong metal covered his legs, as he stood there, tall and proud, understating and compassionate, in all his black and silver glory.

She recognized it, just as she recognized the changes in the others' uniforms. Having changed from gray to black, the impeccable black leather boots with silver riding trouser inserts remained the same while silver thread replaced the colored lined on the sleeves and lapels. There was an abstract, intricate pattern over Jadeite's right shoulder, going all the way down to the left side of his chest, where his completely black, recurve bow rested neatly over one shoulder, body-crossed; the black leathered quiver held the arrows to his back, black bracers protected his forearms, and leather finger tabs replaced the white gloves, as a leather brace and belt with silver claps completed his uniform.

For Nephrite, the red epaulettes had been replaced by silver thread lining his shoulders, with, again, an intricate silver pattern following the path down his arms. The same black leather brace and belt around his waist and hip, two leathered baldrics crossed over his chest held his straight-blade odachi swords in sheath at his back and impeccable black leather gloves covered his hands.

Also wearing black gloves, Kunzite's cape had changed from white to black, lined with dark blue and held in place by a black leather baldric across his chest, which in return held his double-blade sword to his back. The same silver pattern decorated the baldric, perfectly complementing and matching the one adorning his torso, were four silver clips indicated his status as leader of the Shitennou and King of the North, as the leathered brace and belt around his waist emphasized his broad shoulders, making him look strong, regal and imposing.

And she didn't need to look to know, there was a silver pattern over her left breast. The silver thread lined the lapels, with one silver clip as a bear witness of her rank and position as second in command. The black baldric across her chest, slightly wider, was meant to hold knives and daggers of all kinds while the leathered brace hid a dozen shurikens. Unlike her comrades, there were two small seams at the sides of her jacket, right under her breasts, meant to make the material fit her body, just like the black pants kissed her legs, followed by the same black leather boots her brothers in arms sported.

Though it was the first time she saw such uniforms, she was perfectly able to recognize the changes. All made of strong, noble elements and fabrics, Endymion's armor was meant to be worn not by a prince, but by a king, while the Shitennou's uniforms were meant to be worn by the king's royal guard and advisors.

"Well, look at that," Jadeite said, as a sided, approving smile came to his lips. "It's a rather nice change."

"Indeed, it is," Kunzite agreed, nodding his approval.

"Nicely done, little one," Nephrite put in, reacomodating his collar and testing the soft, yet strong material of his jacket.

Out of inspiration, boredom, and a bit of wishful thinking, and upon the insistence of the other four, she had been the one coming up with such changes. Endymion had insisted he would change the laws once he was King, so that she would finally be able to be herself without putting at risk her position nor her own life; he had wanted her to be herself, proud, strong, and female, and she had complied, designing new uniforms for all of them.

Them wearing those uniforms could only mean one thing. And as she contemplated her own leather covered hand, gently nested in Endymion's, a chocked chuckle escaped her lips and she looked up, right into deep, loving, welcoming blue eyes; the gentle, proud smile decorating his handsome features confirming her suspicions.

"Welcome home, Zoisite," he said, with that noble, pleased smile never leaving his lips, "Queen of the South."

She chuckled again, with tears still rolling down her cheeks as she wiped them off with the back of her hand.

For the first time since waking up in that hospital room, after finding out the truth through her nightmares, after finding herself all alone in the world when her parents died… For the first time in a lifetime, she didn't feel lost anymore; her Prince… no, her King. Her King had accepted and welcomed her, and she no longer was a lone, lost lamb, tortured, forsaken and strayed.

With the circle finally completed, at last, she belonged.

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**A.N.: **Alrightie! This ends the first part of this story, which is, getting the Shitennou reunited. Checked!

For the uniforms, I kind of had in mind The Three Musketeers movie when changing them (2011. Think Aramis (Luke Evans)). I have a thing for black leather, so sue me.

Now, as for the cardinal points reference. I did my research, and I came to the conclusion that each author gives each Shitennou different cardinal points (some give Zoi South, others North, and others East or West…). And I know Nephrite is mentioned to be the commander of the North American division. But! Here's my reasoning; North is usually associated with power, with the most powerful one of the four. So, there goes Kunzy. And while Jad and Nephy are pretty much equals, Zoi comes second in command, so it feels natural (to me) to make him (her, on this particular story) commander of the South. So there! Don't kill me for it!

Pretty little blue genius girl will be showing up again next chap. Pinky promise!


	12. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: all and any Sailor Moon character belongs to Naoko Takeuchi. I just own the idea for this story. So don't sue me, but please don't steal either!

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**11**

She made her way through the woods, letting out a bored sigh.

Venus and Mars were busy dealing with matters of the court, and she was the one in charge of keeping a watchful eye on their runaway Princess. Jupiter had come along as well, but the Amazon was busy doing a bit of runaway herself after kindly asking -bordering on begging- for her to come as well just so the tall Senshi of Thunder could do that.

Not that she minded being the one keeping an eye on the Princess and making sure she made it back home safely and unharmed. That was her duty, after all. It was the keeping the affair in secret, making sure no one noticed their absence while they were gone, and waiting around doing nothing at all part that bored her to no ends; there was not much to do on these strange, unknown lands.

It was an interesting place, though. The trees were far much taller than the few ones that had been planted on the Palace's gardens, and the sight of the green leaves dancing in the breeze, the sun pouring in from in between them, was both fascinating and soothing, and she allowed herself to wander off a little to see the place for herself.

She trusted Prince Endymion's words when he assured here these woods were perfectly safe, and she was confident he was a man of honor. He wouldn't harm her Princess or disgrace her in any way, and so she allowed them the luxury of privacy, if only a little; she still didn't feel quite comfortable leaving them all alone, so she kept herself within range so that she could still feel her Princess' presence.

She saw a clearing up ahead and she made her way there, and she regretted not bringing a book with her. Enjoying a reading under the shadow of the tall, magnificent trees surely seemed like a pleasant experience.

A sudden noise from behind her surprised her, and she jumped up and turned around; fear taking over as the possibility of getting attacked by one of Earth's creatures -animals, she believed they were called- occurred to her only then. But with her own sudden movement, the heel of her boot got caught between the branches of a low bush right next to her, and she let a cry of surprise and sudden fear as she embraced herself, reading herself for the now inevitable impact.

But when her body never hit the green grass beneath her and strong, yet slender arms came around her waist, stopping her way down, she blinked, surprised out of her mind.

"Are you alright, Ma'am?" a low, slightly rusty, soft voice asked, and she blinked again.

Looking up at her rescuer, she blinked again when she found herself face to face with a handsome young man. His delicate face was barely a few inches away from her as he held her close and the most amazingly green eyes were gazing down on her somewhat worriedly, and a deep blush came rushing to her cheeks at the sudden, unexpected proximity.

He seemed to realize this, for he was fast to help her up and to her feet once more.

"Are you alright?" he asked again, as he took a step backwards, putting a respectable distance between them.

The red on her cheeks deepened, if that was even possible, utterly embarrassed at her own, completely out of character clumsiness. "Yes," she answered, "I am alright. Thank you, kind Sir."

Straightening herself up, she bowed in respect to him, easily recognizing the gray uniform and acknowledging him as one of Prince Endymion's protectors. But as she did so, that noise that had first scared her came again, and she jumped up again despite of herself, instinctively going to him for protection as the creature showed itself.

It was rather small, and she mentally scolded herself for being so childish. But she knew nothing of Earth's creatures, and this one, though small, could still be dangerous or even poisonous, for all she knew.

As if guessing her line of thoughts, the man beside her chuckled lightly, resting a comforting hand on her back.

"It's only a hare," he provided when she blinked up at him. "It will not hurt you," he assured her, slowly crouching down and facing the creature, and then offering out a hand for her to crouch down beside him.

Curious, and instinctively trusting this strange man and the kindness dancing in his green eyes, she accepted the offered hand. With his help, she laid herself down, resting both knees against the soft grass beneath her, and eyed the furred, long eared creature.

"He's probably more scared of you than you are of him," the blonde said.

She blinked, barely nodding her head as she studied the small creature not two feet away. The small, brown nose moved, as if smelling the air around, long ears moving around a little, and she tilted her head to a side, both curious and fascinated.

The creature, hare, as the man had called it, moved closer, and she reached out a hand, wondering what it would feel like to run her fingers through its fur. But as she did so, the hare jumped up and away, hurriedly disappearing behind the bushes.

The man chuckled. "See?" he said, straightening up and offering his hand yet again to help her stand up.

Again, she accepted the offered hand, standing up beside the man. "I did not mean to scare it," she apologized.

"It's alright," he said. "It's a rare occurrence, for hares to come this near," he explained. "They're very shy and elusive," he explained, as he gifted her with a smile that, for whatever reason, made a blush come and burn her cheeks. "But I think he was curious of you."

"Oh," was all she was able to say, lowering her gaze and starting at her own boots, fidgeting with her hands as the blush burned her cheeks, suddenly and inexplicably feeling unsure of herself.

"Can you blame it?" he asked, with something aching to amusement dancing in those green orbs of his. "Animals can be highly perceptive," he offered as she looked up at him again, "and this one seemed to sense the strong aura around you, different from those of us, earthlings."

She blinked, surprised at the explanation, yet highly curious by it all the same. There wasn't much information about earth's creatures in the Palace's library, with the blue orb being object of several different adjectives -mostly derogatory-, with the royal scribes not considering it important enough to even try to obtain such information on a planet that was not even a part of the Alliance. A fact she often found regrettable, for her thirst for knowledge could simply not accept ignorance. Specially not if it was a conscious choice.

"I don't think we have been properly introduced," his voice, soft, husky, with a clear melodic hint to it -and a subtle courting lilt too-, forced her out of her own wondering thoughts, having momentarily -and only superficially- forgotten about her newfound companion.

She looked up at him just in time to see the slightly sided, cordial smile that graced his lips. A little too confident on its self charm, she noted, as a light blush took up residence on her cheeks when he took her hand in his slender one. It was impossible not to acknowledge -if only to herself- the way his smile reached green orbs, making minuscule little dots of mirth dance within them, shining proudly with the sunlight. The end result was a sight that, for whatever reason, made her breath get caught in her throat at the handsome smile now decorating soft features.

"Lord Zoisite, at your service," he said, right before placing soft lips to her gloved hand, kissing it gently and gallantly.

.-.

Eyes as blue and as deep as the ocean opened up, blinking up at the green digits of the alarm clock without really looking, and a soft, half groaning sigh filled the room.

There was no need to touch her cheeks to know, there was a burning -and quite frustrating- blush now decorating her cheeks. She half preferred waking up with a start and with the feeling of an ice blade going through her, than with a blush burning her face caused by flirting words and shining green eyes.

It was annoying -for the lack of a better, more suitable word…-, specially when slides and candid made of memories and whispering voices would still linger in her head even after waking up. It was as if a part of her brain would still be lost in remembrance, clearly able to recall feelings and thoughts and sensations. Like the way thin lips felt against her hand, even through the material of her white gloves, or how beautifully -and yes, handsomely- green eyes would shine up when looking at her, with a mix between curiosity about her very nature and persona, and plain male appreciation for her female condition dancing in there.

Remembering that last bit was enough to make her cheeks feel even hotter, and she shook her head, forcing her own memories to the back of her mind. There were more important matters to attend to, such as breakfast.

Not bothering on changing out of her sleeping clothes, having long ago got over her own natural shyness enough to feel comfortable walking around in nothing but her navy blue polka dot flannel shorts and mismatching black and white stripped tee, she walked out of her bedroom and into the hallway. After taking care of physical needs in the bathroom and rearranging her sleep tousled hair, she made her way straight to the kitchen, half lured by the enchanting smell coming from it, and half wondering about the unusual lack of sound which inevitably came with such delicious scent each Sunday morning; Makoto had a habit of either humming to herself or singing to whatever song was playing on the radio while waltzing around their kitchen as she made breakfast.

Because she made it a point on being there the entire day -unless some other important business forced her away-, Makoto was usually the first one to wake up and leave their shared apartment, going to take care of her shop instead. And though her brunette friend always made sure to leave recently cooked pastries -always a different one, depending on her mood and inspiration- and fresh coffee waiting for them, she always took Sundays off. Which translate as, the tall Amazon was there every Sunday to make breakfast for her roommates, demonstrating not only her cooking proficiency, but also her singing and dancing skills.

And Ami was sure she would be forever grateful of her friend's thoughtfulness each and every morning, for coffee had became a very good, close friend of hers during the passing years. Which she knew was a college student must more than an acquired taste, depending this much on the dark liquid to chase sleep away. But the reigning silence was worrisome, and she only had time to half wonder if maybe there was something wrong -a new enemy? An attack of some sort? Maybe something more related to matters of the heart than Senshi business?-, when she walked into the kitchen, only to confirm her half thought question.

She knew there was definitively something wrong when she was faced with a very quiet, very silent Minako sitting on a chair next to the table, holding her cup of tea with both hands as if it was a delicate, rare crystal of some sort, and an equally quiet though obviously impatient Makoto, as the brunette sat on a chair across from the blonde, one bare feet up and over her own chair, and the other repeatedly moving up and down against the floor. And if their silence was not evidence enough, the fact that Minako was not only there on a Sunday morning -which was usually not the case…-, but also up and wide awake at such an early hour surely was.

"What is it?" she asked, going straight to the point.

"Ami, hi!" Minako exclaimed a little too cheerful, looking up from her cup and smiling widely up at her. "Good morning!"

"Good morning to you too."

"Coffee?" Makoto asked, standing up from her chair and going to the counter, not really needing nor waiting for an answer before taking a cup from the cabinet and filling it with fresh coffee.

"Thank you," she said, accepting the offered cup and taking a much needed sip.

"I made cookies," Makoto announced, pointing the obvious as she took the plate full of the aforementioned treats. "Want some?"

Taking note of the brunette's a little bit too enthusiastic tone, she couldn't help but notice those were not just any cookies. And she clearly remembered Minako stating vanilla cookies with chocolate chips were a girl's best friend -or worst enemy, depending on how one looked at it…- when wanting to drown sorrows of the heart. A friend only rivaled by ice cream, but considering it was only fifteen past eight in the morning, Ami figured cookies were more appropriate.

She just couldn't figure out why 'the remedy', as both Minako and Usagi would call it, was being offered to her on this particular morning.

Taking one of the treats from the plate, she inspected it superficially. She knew Minako would be drowning in tears and cookies if the remedy was meant for her -and Ami herself would be more than ready to castrate and then decapitate one particular, very specific tall, white haired man. She had seen the scene a few times a little over a year ago, when her blonde friend was sure the man hated her, what with his stubborn determination to stay as far away from her as humanly possible and that forever stoic, serious frown decorating his face.

Makoto, on the other hand, would be taking her frustration and pain out on innocent dough, handling the mix as if it was guilty of all and every crime ever committed, covered in flour from head to toe and with a rather sour mood. Either that, or the brunette would be sitting out on their balcony, with green eyes shining with unshed tears staring at the plants she nurtured daily as if they held the answer to all her questions. Again, a scene Ami had witnessed several times over the passing years, each and every time 'a guy that looked like her old sempai' would inevitably turn out to be the completely wrong guy for her tall friend.

And considering there was no real reason for the remedy to be meant for her -she was sure she had not developed a split personality disorder of any kind and there was no alter ego going around, dating guys and getting heartbroken-, she could only come up with one half logical answer.

"What happened?" she asked, already knowing the answer, but unwilling to assume anything until she had all the facts. Assuming things when it came to her friends was, after all, completely fruitless and pointless…

"What makes you think something happened?" Minako asked, battling her eyelashes all too innocently and sweetly.

"Vanilla and chocolate chips?" she asked, only half accusingly, signaling at the still untouched cookie in her hand.

Makoto shrunk her shoulders. "Usagi came back yesterday, remember?" she pointed out. "I ran out of supplies and didn't have the time to go to the supermarket," she explained. It was amazing the amount of treats -cakes, pie, cookies, muffins…- the brunette had come up with in such short time, and how fast it had all disappeared, mostly thanks to Usagi, though they had all helped out on that task. "It was either this, or blueberries," the brunette finished, knowing full well either of her roommates was a big fun of blueberry treats. Not when there were other options, at least.

"I see," Ami conceded, nodding her head and taking a small bite of her cookie, letting the rich flavor roll down her tongue.

"But there is one small, tiny little thing…" Minako started, raising up a hand and making a sign with her thumb and index finger.

Again, she nodded her head, helping the cookie down her throat with a sip of her coffee. "I figured that much," she said, placing her cup down on the table and waiting for her friends to get it out already. But when nothing but silence and staring eyes welcomed her, she fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Well?"

"You know we love you, right?" the blonde continued. "And that we wouldn't do anything to hurt you or even make you uncomfortable, in any way."

Although she appreciated the thought and was touched by its truthfulness, she couldn't help but find it a bit ironic; they were making her uncomfortable right now…

"Zoisite is here," Makoto finally spat out.

Baby blue eyes throw daggers at the brunette, before Minako shook her head disapprovingly. But then her face expression changed, turning soft, loving, and compassionate. "They got all together yesterday, and want to get the whole checking process out of the way as soon as possible," she explained, reaching a hand out and gently rubbing Ami's arm. "You know, to make sure."

Ami nodded, understanding perfectly.

It had been the same with the other three, after all. Though they all trusted Mamoru's word, when it came to the Shitennou, the prince was biased. And though they regarded Setsuna's words on the matter a bit higher than Mamoru's -she was the Senshi of Time, after all-, still, they had all made their own check-out on each and every one of them to make absolutely sure there were no traces of evil in them.

It was only natural to do the same thing with the green eyed Shitennou, and for the rest of them to expect it.

"But we totally understand if you don't want to," the blonde continued.

"I appreciate your concern," Ami said, tapping her friend's hand over her arm. "But it's completely unnecessary."

"It's Zoisite," Minako insisted, eyes big and wide.

"I know," the bluenette conceded. "But, may I remind you that, unlike you two, I had no relationship with him."

"Only because you were too naïve to read all the signals he kept on sending, and too shy and stubborn to admit your own feelings."

The blush came to her cheeks despite herself . "That was not…"

"The point is," Makoto interrupted them, "we know this might be… weird… for you, being locked up in a room with him and all," she explained, waving her hand around.

Her blush deepened at that. "It won't be just me and him," she pointed out. "Besides, it's my job. Or would you prefer to do it?"

"Hey, I can handle modern technology fairly well, and I appreciate the convenience and commodity of a laptop just like any other girl," the brunette said, now raising both hands palm up in a surrendering manner, "but I'm pretty sure you're the only person on the entire world that understands that little netbook of yours."

"It's not a netbook."

"It looks like one," Minako argued. "Small and light-weighted and all," she said, shaking her shoulder. "Only, you know, minus the keyboard and with a really complicated operational system…"

"When's the meeting?" she asked, not wanting to get into a discussion that had nothing to do with their current topic of conversation whatsoever.

"Today at three," Makoto answered. "Rei's getting everything ready and calling the others."

She nodded. "Alright. I'll be there," she said. "And you don't need to worry about me, I'm perfectly fine," she assured them. "If anything, I'm happy for Mamoru. I know how much it means to him to have them all back."

She took a sip from her coffee, enjoying the hot liquid, trying to ignore her friends' worried stares. But when she simply couldn't, she rolled her eyes, easily reading the unvoiced question dancing in their eyes.

"Yes, I'm sure," she assured them for the last time, mentally and decidedly crushing down that tiny little nervous bug tugging at the tip of her stomach.

She had a life, friends, family and her volunteer job at the hospital; she had far more important matters to worry about that an ancient, frustrated affair with a man she didn't even know anymore.


	13. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: all and any Sailor Moon character belongs to Naoko Takeuchi. I just own the idea for this story. So don't sue me, but please don't steal either!

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**12**

"Explain to me again what exactly are they gonna do to me?" she asked, sounding more than just a little bit nervous.

He couldn't help but smile, understanding her uneasiness. Not three days ago, she had been a simple American young woman. Well, maybe not that simple, but still. She had been in Tokyo for three days, and she had already faced one too many overemotional encounters and life-changing situations. But he liked to think she put those in the positive column of the balance of her staying here so far; getting back together was something that, he knew, all five of them had been waiting for too much of a long time.

Finally reunited, their powers -not the dark ones the evil witch had gifted with, but their real ones- were being reawakened. Having gone through the process once before, getting used to the growing powers within them and the link that bounded them together was fairly easier than the first time around. The fact that they had spent the better part of the day before lounging in her apartment, then moving the talk-party to a dinner to have some late lunch that had inevitably extended to several cups of coffee helped in that matter; getting to know one another was only natural and to be expected if they even pretended for things to be how they used to be. Preferably better.

So, they had spent the entire day talking about the most trivial things, and then about the more sore subjects in their lives.

They talked about their families, their childhood and their early teenage years. College, work, or school, and how everything changed for them when they had first woken up, only to be taken by Beryl. And how strange it had been to readjust afterwards, when false memories of that entire year had been implanted in their minds because of the Ginzuisho and Usagi's wish, conflicting with the memories of what had really happened during that time. And it was then when they found out how different things had been for Zoe.

Apparently, the Ginzuisho's power could only go so far, and though she had been brought back and given a second chance, false memories had not been implanted in everyone around her. Maybe because the large amount of people affected by the Dark Kingdom's attacks were in Tokyo alone, but for whatever reason, that whole year had not been replaced by happy, normal memories for her and her family. And it saddened and worried them, to know she had been through so much, all on her own. They all knew how hard it was without adding the entire police department wanting a declaration and a doctor shoving all kinds of medication down their throats…

But she had assured them several times that she was perfectly fine, that those hard times had actually helped her find out the truth and made her stronger. She still had nightmares, like the rest of them, but now she knew the monsters in her dreams were not a product of her imagination -though that was not exactly a comforting thought, it did provide some sort of confidence in knowing she was not losing her mind.

So here they were now, all five of them, walking down the street and on their way to the Hiwaka Shrine. It was a beautiful, warm day, and they had decided to walk instead of driving, enjoying the sun. And though the long walk was proving to be bad idea -it was summer after all-, Jei knew, that was not the reason behind Zoe's concerned, frowning face.

Regardless of her understanding what the meaning of the meeting was -something that Jei suspected she had perfectly understood the first time they had explained it to her-, he could understand and empathized with her uneasiness upon the gathering. Facing them, the Senshi and the Moon Princess, had been something they had all feared, at one point or another, not because they were afraid of any physical pain they would put them through, but because the betrayal in their eyes was something they had known, instinctively, that would be hard to face.

And that, facing them, had been something that had taken Jei years to get ready for. And even with that, he hadn't been ready for it, ashamed and undone as he had been. As he still was.

That betrayal was harder than the one they all had to face towards Endymion himself. Because they were all bond to Endymion. And although he could, deep down, they all knew the Prince would never hold a grudge.

With them, it was different. Regardless of their particular stories and their outcomes, there was no sacred vow that linked them together, other than the Prince being with their Princess. Nothing bounded them together, and they could have easily and rightfully chose to hate them all, never trusting them again. And there was nothing they could have done but voice their deepest apology, beg for forgiveness, and hope they would, at the very least, listen. Not forgive, but listen.

There was a good part of that task he had yet to get done. He had yet to face the fire goddess.

He had purposely delayed that one conversation, knowing she was not yet ready to listen, just as he was not ready to tell her everything. He was not expecting her to forgive him, not really; he just hoped she'd understand. Once she had all the facts, all the reasons, all the nasty little details, Jei hoped she would be able to understand; for him, for all four of them, there had been no other way but down. And right into Beryl's trap.

He didn't blame the others, and he had long ago stopped blaming himself. He could dwell on it forever, going down the road of who to blame, but that had never led him anywhere. It only brought suffocating pain, shattering sorrow, and unbearable torrents of regrets. He had already learned how to live with his share of that, and he was sure, any more would end him.

He knew she would understand. Maybe not agree, but she would understand. They all would, for they had been under similar circumstances themselves on this life time. Not exactly the same, but similar enough for them to know what it felt like, to lose it all and being ripped off of hope and pride, left with nothing but desperation.

But he had yet to come up with the courage to tell her. There were too many facts, too many details of what had happened; dark, shameful little secrets that were not fully his to share. And that was the reason why he kept on delaying that one conversation.

He knew they meant it when they had all accepted him back. Even she had accepted him, not really welcoming him, but she had at least accepted him. But he also knew, none of them really knew; not even Usagi. And the fact that Mamoru had yet to tell his Princess the truth about what exactly had happened a millennia ago proved his reasoning right; it was not his secret to tell, his story to confess; it was theirs.

All five of them had their own share of blame and shame. Rightfully or not, it was not for them to decide.

"It's no big deal, really," Masato's voice as he answered Zoe's previous question forced him out of his own thoughts. "A little reading, a little scanning, and you're good to go."

"And that's it?" Zoe asked, still unsure.

"They won't cut you off into little pieces and throw you out to Hell's dogs, if that's your concern," he joked, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder and smiling down to her. "Other than being officially introduced, there's not much to it, really," the brunette assured her. But then he frowned. "Though you might want to stay on the Outers' good graces. I swear, that blonde must be the old man's long lost sister or something…"

"The Outers?" Zoe asked, confused.

"Because she can be threatening and frightening with just one look?" came Mamoru's guess at the same time, as the Prince smiled in amusement.

"Yeah…"

"I'll admit I admire her," Kun put in, not in the least offended by Masato's previous comment. "I'm sure she makes one mighty warrior."

"You have no idea…" Mamoru mumbled, nodding his head.

"What are you talking about?" Zoe asked, obviously confused now. "Who's Kun's long lost sister?"

"Sailor Uranus," he provided. But when green eyes only blinked up at him, completely lost, Jei smiled. "The Senshi of the Outer Solar System. Remember those 'mythological' warriors who protected the galaxy?" he then asked, clearly remembering he had talked of their actual existence on several occasions back then, and how no one had really believed him, what with no real proof of such warriors being nothing more than just legends and nighttime stories for the children of the Moon.

Zoe's eyes went wide and round, and she blinked up at him once, before turning around and looking at Mamoru, stopping in her walk to stare up at him. "They're actually _real_?"

The Prince nodded. "Uranus, Neptune, Saturn, and Pluto," he provided.

"So you've met them," Zoe said in a questioning tone, now more intrigued and fascinated.

Again, Mamoru nodded. "They're all quite nice," he said, smiling. "Maybe a little too overprotective at times, but they're good people," he stated. "I've already told you about them. Remember the story about the future daughter?"

He had told all three of them all about the future little Princess, of how she had come to the present time seeking for Sailor Moon's help and how they had all traveled to the future to help her save her parents, only to find out she was Usagi and Mamoru's future daughter. With pride pouring out of his every word, he had talked about the Time Gate and how a Senshi guarded it at all times, though he had failed to mention said Senshi's name and role in their current, everyday lives.

"That was Sailor Pluto's doing," Mamoru said as their resumed their walk.

Zoe blinked. "But I thought you said she guards time," she said, hurrying up in her step to keep up with the Prince and staring up at him, frowning.

"She does," the black haired man said, nodding his head. "But she's also allowed to be here with us. Not all the time, but most of the time. She lives with the other three when she's here."

"Uranus is their leader," Kun offered, making the blonde woman turn around in her heels and walk backwards. "You probably know her already. Ever heard of Tenoh Haruka?"

Zoe's eyes got bigger at that, if that was even possible, and she stopped dead on her tracks again. "The racer?"

"So you've heard of her," Kun said, nodding his head.

"Heard of her?" the woman asked, with a clear hint of mockery and irony to her voice. "Why? She's only the best car racer in history, whose girlfriend just happens to be the greatest violinist of the last couple of centuries, and they just happen to be the bradgelina of the lesbian world," she said, all in one breath. "World wide," she added for emphasis. "So no, of course not. Why would have I ever heard of her?"

A few chuckles and several sets of blinking eyes stared at her at her statement, and Jei half laughed, half chocked at the statement.

"The bradgelina of the lesbian world?" he repeated, half incredulous and all the way amused over the choice of words. "Seriously?" he asked again. And then he frowned. "Why didn't I come up with that?"

"Because you're a guy," Zoe answered him, smugly. "And you're straight," she then added.

He frowned at that. "Is that supposed to be some sort of insult?"

"She's a Senshi?" the woman asked, completely ignoring him and turning back to look at their prince instead.

"Yes, Sailor Uranus," the black haired man answered, still smiling in amusement at her one-long-breath statement. "And Michiru is Neptune."

She let out a long whistle then; a sided, goofy smile coming to her lips. "Holy… Man!" she exclaimed in English, doing a little shake of her head and shoulders as she did so. "Can that girl get any hotter?"

"Please don't tell me you have the hots for her," Masato said, arching an only half scolding, all the way teasing eyebrow her way.

"Personally, I'd go for little Miss Kaioh any day," Zoe answered. "But, come on! She's hot stuff!"

"And she's also very zealous of Michiru," Mamoru added, "and has a very mean right hook," he said, warningly. "And a magical sword."

"Yeah," Jei added to the warning. "So if you'd like to keep on breathing by your own means, then I'd highly suggest you to keep that first part of your statement to yourself."

"Nah," she said with a shrug of her shoulder and waving her hand around, dismissing their warnings. "I don't go for other people's ladies. It's bad for my already bad enough karma," she stated in a light, joking tone, even though they all knew she wasn't joking at all about that last part. "But the respect bar just reached a brand new limit," she soon added, as her goofy smile came back to her features. "I mean, a sword and a miniskirt? That's one mean, kick-ass hot chick right there, and I just earned a hero, here," she stated firmly.

She batted her eyelashes up at the four of them all too innocently, goofy smile still in place, and probably guessing what their reaction to her statement would be as she waited for it patiently.

She wasn't disappointed.

Mamoru and Kun blinked at her as if she had suddenly started talking in some foreign, alien language. Which, considering she just made such an amusing little teenage-like statement, it was only natural for the normally serious men to be unable to fully understand her joking babble, even if they were both exposed to it fairly often, considering their respective girlfriends. Masato, on the other hand, always in the hunt for an easy laugh -either to lighten up a tense moment, or just for the fun of it-, chuckled loudly. Probably trying not to laugh out loud, thinking maybe the blonde woman would be offended if he did so, and knowing better than to piss her off when she was being serious. Though the matter of her being one hundred percent serious right now was open for debate.

He laughed. Hands deep in his jeans pocket, he tilted his head upwards, and laughed, hard and loud; he'd forgotten how funny, laid back, and simply hilarious the girl could be when she wanted.

"What?" she asked, mainly at the two blinking men as she shook her shoulder. "I grew up in California, and I'm gay," she pointed out, as if that explained everything. "Lady superheroes are the new hot thing. Blame Alice, Sarah and Selene."

"Who?" Kun asked, at a complete loss.

He smiled then, not in the least surprised at the tanned man's lack of knowledge in the area. "Resident Evil, Terminator, and Underworld," he provided. But when the man just blinked at him, Jei rolled his eyes. "Movies," he added, tilting his head towards the blonde and passing an arm around her shoulders. "You forgot Lara," he pointed out in a teasingly reproaching tone.

She raised a hand up to her chest then, in an overly dramatic gesture. "I would never!"

"How exactly did we go from the Outers to movies?" Kun asked, obviously still confused.

"Kick-ass hot chicks playing hero," Masato answered. "Keep up with the conversation, old man."

Kun scowled, slapping the back of Masato's head for the unnecessary insult.

.-.

They resumed their walk with Masato rubbing the back of his head and mumbling something about old men that needed to remember how to have fun, and a completely unaffected Kun walking easily beside him, hands deep into his pockets and enjoying the warming sun on his face. Jei and Zoe walked right behind them, next to him, keeping a light conversation about movies and a slightly heated discussion about actresses and their good looks.

He chuckled at their argument, shoving his hands into his jeans' pockets and walking beside them in silence.

He couldn't help but notice the small differences between the young woman right next to him, and the one he remembered from the past. While one was far more reserved and introverted, Zoe was more relaxed and opened.

The subject of her sexuality was only one of the many examples; while Zoisite had never really been even remotely interested in a man and had occasionally flirted with a lady or two during a ball -and if it ever went beyond that, he never knew of it-, her sexual orientation had never been brought out to the surface or even remotely addressed. Not even when her infatuation with Mercury had been plain obvious to everyone.

Of course, those were other times, and things were different now. Such things were considered sinful before, and having to hide her true gender had surely made it hard enough for Zoisite without needing to add disapproving frowns being throw her way because of her preference for her own gender over men. But now she had no reason to hide, and she obviously didn't care much about what others had to say about her private life. Having grown up in San Francisco had probably helped a great deal in that matter; anyone would have hardly frowned upon such matters.

She was a strong, independent, and self assured young woman. And, still the smart little brain of their group, she had a good head over her shoulders and a good heart to go along with that. And Mamoru knew she would have no problem getting along with the girls; she was closest to their age, and she still had that sense of humor and that graceful, gentle smile that easily made everyone like her.

They turned around the corner with Zoe and Jei still going on about pretty ladies in tight outfits, when the entry steps of the Hikawa Shrine came to their line of vision, and the blonde stopped dead in her tracks.

"You're kidding, right?" she said, turning her face around to look up at him. "Mars_ lives_ here?" she asked, pointing at the Shrine and with an obviously worried frown upon her features.

"Her name is Rei," he provided. "And yes, she lives here."

"Shit," she mumbled, chewing on her lower lip for a moment. "I'm dead, aren't I?"

"Why?" Masato asked, confused. "What did I miss?"

"Rei's grandfather was the keeper of a Rainbow Crystal," Kun provided, nodding his head in a rather severe way; memories from that time where not exactly pleasant for the tanned man. Or any of them…

"Oh," Masato said, not really needing any more explanation than that.

"You're so dead," Jei put in, only half jokingly, and remembering Rei's temper was just about as hot as it had been a millennia ago.

"Don't worry," he said, placing a reassuring hand over her shoulder. "Everything will be fine."

"I tried to kill her grandfather."

"So did I," Mamoru said. "And I also tried to kill her Princess," he pointed out, with a look of guilt and pain that was still deep and fresh on his conscious. "And, on more recent events, not only I couldn't make it to her birthday this year, but I also forgot to call her and apologize for it," he admitted, shirking his shoulders. "Trust me, her personal grudges don't last long."

"You're forgetting the fact that, even with all that, you still have the princess' favor," Jei put in, making them all turn around to look at him, "and she may have had something to do with Rei not burning your sorry ass."

Zoe whined lowly, and before he could even frown disapprovingly at Jei, Kun beat him to it, smacking the back of the blonde man's head.

The blonde got the message then, scratching the back of his probably sore head and giving a sided, somewhat reassuring smile. "Yeah, don't worry," he said to Zoe. "I'm still alive, right? So you have no reason to worry," he reasoned, not without a subtle -though still there- hint of self pity.

Zoe gave him a sympathetic smile before turning to look up at the stairs that led to the Shrine. She had already had her reservations about this meeting without having to add possible personal grudges. Not that any of the Senshi held any, but still; he thought it wise not to mention Urawa Ryo, Ami's friend and the closest thing to a crush Mamoru had ever seen in her in this lifetime, and how they still remained friends. He didn't say anything about him, or any other of the people close to the Senshi the Dark Kingdom had ever attacked, and Mamoru could only hope any of the Senshi wouldn't mention it either; Zoe had enough over her shoulders and conscious already as it was.

He gave her a reassuring, encouraging pat on the back and, knowing she would follow, he started making his way up the stairs.

The sounds of steps behind him let him know she was, indeed following, along with Kun, Jei and Masato, and he led the way up. Each step bringing them closer, the gentle breeze brought the sound of voices coming from the top. Not exactly happy ones, he guessed, judging by the yells he could now clearly identify as Rei, Minako and Usagi having a heated argument. Over what, he didn't know; they were currently stuck on calling each other names.

He chuckled. Here was a group of women who loved each other to death. A saying that had been proven right, quite literally, more times than he cared to count for. Yet some things would just never change. And, secretly, he counted on that.

They made it to the top and went around to the back. And there, the yells got even louder as they finally saw them.

With the trio caught up in their argument, Makoto was trying to keep Rei in place so that she wouldn't jump right at Minako's throat while Ami seemed busy burying her face in her hand in a rather exasperated manner, embarrassed for her friends; Luna safely cuddled against the bluenette's chest, just as embarrassed. Hotaru held Artemis in her lap, smiling widely and occasionally giggling at the creative names the trio kept on throwing at each other.

Setsuna was the first to acknowledge their arrival. An unsurprising fact, as per usual, as the olive skinned woman gifted them all with one of her small, enigmatic smiles and a nod of her head.

Haruka too noticed them. One blonde eyebrow arching slightly their way before she put back on her poker face and cleared her throat. "Koneko," she called out to Usagi, pointing at the newly arrived with her head.

Michiru was the first one to turn to look at them; deep blue eyes blinking in what it looked like surprise for a moment before her ever elegant smile came to her lips. And Mamoru barely had time to wonder about it when all eyes turned to them, repeating the same surprised blinking process, only lasting far much longer than Michiru's.

But it wasn't until Minako finally spoke up when Mamoru remembered he had forgotten to clear out one small little detail.

"You're a girl!"

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**A.N.: **Haruka and Michiru play an important (though not _that_ much) role in this story, more as a role model than anything, being the already established, golden lesbian couple in the group and all. And with Michiru and Ami being alike in some aspects, there will be some winks here and there. And, of course, a little humor never killed anyone, so there! The fact that I'm a Haruka-Michiru lover has nothing to do with this… ok, maybe a little bit, but not entirely, I swear!

Next chap should be up before Christmas (hopefully). Meanwhile, any thoughts?


	14. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: all and any Sailor Moon character belongs to Naoko Takeuchi. I just own the idea for this story. So don't sue me, but please don't steal either!

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**13**

Several sets of eyes debated between staring at the newly arrived, one in particular, and at the baby blue eyed blonde after her not so subtle exclamation.

Yes, the off the shoulder teal colored cotton tee-tunic with a drapery shape and crop black leggings clearly stated the very female nature of the blonde in the newly arrived party. The bronze colored flat thong sandals added a nice touch, with perfectly well groomed feet that made Minako's observation quite obvious, and completely unnecessary.

That was most certainly a woman, all tight and rounded breasts, long, well shaped legs, and slightly rebel blonde curls that seemed to be unwilling to succumb to the prison of a hairband, framing a long neck instead and then gently dancing in the afternoon's breeze.

She scratched the back of her neck. The ghost of a sided smile tugging at the corner of thin lips as what she could only read as slight amusement with a mix of embarrassment -or was it uneasiness?- at so many eyes staring at her danced in soft, shining emeralds.

And then it clicked.

Something in her mind clicked, and it all made sense, suddenly.

It was during a ball at the Golden Palace, the second time she ever saw the King of the South, when she first noticed.

It had been nothing but an attempt at peace, with royals from the Alliance being the guests of honor. Queen Serenity had been unable to assist, having to stay back home. But she had sent the Princess and her four guardians to represent her. And so, Mercury had found herself in a ballroom filled with complete strangers that would keep on staring at them, some fascinated, others wary, most just curious and trying to make up their minds.

Many other encounters followed after that ball. Unlike that second meeting, the rest had been all secret, of course, when following the Moon Princess down to earth to see her Prince, or when the Prince himself would travel to the Moon, and Mercury would follow after them to see Serenity unharmed and make sure no praying eyes would accidentally find out about the romantic relationship between the two royals.

It was on those occasions when she would always come face to face with at least one of the Shitennou. But, strangely enough, it usually seemed to be the youngest with whom she'd ran into. And in each and every one of those encounters, the long talks, the walks as they waited for their charges to finally call it a night, the exchange of opinions about politics and philosophy and art and even chess, when the blonde had showed her and taught her how to play the strategy board game upon her request after hearing about it; each and every time, she had noticed something different.

But that ball had been the first time she noticed, there was something odd about the green eyed Shitennou.

First, there was no facial hair. And no Adam apple either. The fact that Zoisite was still young could have explained that, but as other little details were discovered, Mercury knew that wasn't it. The long, slender fingers, the delicate features, the thin waist and round hips that could be guessed, even if the uniform did a remarkable job hiding them; the way Zoisite would never dive into a river, even after stating he loved to swim, and the lack of any kind of hair in forearms and legs. Those long, slender legs that, again, could be guessed under the uniform; delicate, from calf to toes, with immaculate, pearly white skin she had seen when the Shitennou had gave in just enough to rest over a rock, pants rolled over to the knees and bare feet dancing in the water. Even the wrists seem odd, too delicate, too slender, for a male.

But there had been no real proofs; she had noticed nothing when sharing a dance with the Shitennou. But then again, he had always kept himself at a respectable distance for her to actually test, even by the slightest, most accidental of brushes, exactly how flat that chest really was. There had been nothing at all, except…

.-.

It was the first day of the harvest season. As it was customary, each and every year the Palace threw a ball, and the entire Kingdom was invited. Colorful, beautiful masks were given out so that there would be no differences; that night, there was no distinction between members of the court and commoners.

But that didn't mean she got to have the night off duty.

The Palace was packed, from ballroom to gardens; the entry way was a sea of faces, with fireworks and balloons and feathers dancing in the night, all reflected on Mere Serenitatis. There were so many faces, feathers, masks, manes of all colors dancing with the night's breeze, it was a miracle she noticed that particular honey blonde one, with the ever rebel curls escaping the grasp of the green ribbon and cascading down shoulders.

A miracle, or perhaps that ability her eyes had developed, to act like two little blue magnets towards the metal those soft emeralds represented.

The gray uniform was gone, replaced by a yellow jacket and simple brown pants and boots. But that smile, that soft, slightly sided, charming smile, and those same emeralds shining upon seeing her were all the confirmation she needed.

She froze to the spot, debating with herself for a moment. Should she be glad to see the Shitennou, or worried about the blonde's very life for even daring being there tonight?

The warmth of soft skin came in contact with her wrist despite the brown leather gloves covering long fingers. And a blush burned her cheeks as soft lips touched her knuckles; the fingerless fishnet gloves doing nothing to protect her from the electric shock the small touch send up her arm and down her spine.

"Zoisite!" she was finally able to exclaimed once she found her voice again, barely able to keep herself from talking too loud. "You are not supposed to be here!"

A sheepish smile and that light in green orbs that seemed to be there only when he spoke to her came once more. "Is it really that unpleasant to see me?"

"N-no!" she stuttered. "Of course not," she added, more firmly now.

With a boldness that surprised her, she reached closer, placing an only half hesitant, all the way longing hand over the blonde's shoulder, noticing how the yellow jacket was buttoned up all the way up to the neck. A scarf, or maybe just a shirt with a little too many ribbons, was barely visible under it, puffing the shoulders and chest in a strange way.

Not exactly fashionable, but it was a masquerade after all…

She shook her head of such thoughts, concentrating on her hand over the shoulder and their closeness. Inevitably, a blush came to her cheeks.

"You should not be here," she whispered, gazing up into those marvelous green eyes. "It is too dangerous…"

"I know," that sweet, melodically husky voice graced her ears despite the many cries of joy and laughter all around them. "But I need to speak to you."

There was urgency in the Shitennou's voice and words. Green eyes looked into her own blue ones, silently speaking of importance and something else she wasn't quite able to decipher. Severity, maybe? She knew Zoisite was brave, strong, and a little too proud to get easily scared; not that many things would be worthy of fright under such a brilliant mind and sharp, accurate daggers.

It must be serious for Zoisite to risk a visit to the Moon, with apparently no other earthling around, and with the entire Moon Kingdom out and about, she reasoned. But there were too many people around, and she had already spotted two guards not that far from them. Surely, Zoisite's head would be sent back to earth on a silver plate if they were caught, with the peace treatises being put on hold; earth was at the verge of a civil war, and no one on the Silver Alliance wanted anything to do with earthlings until they solved their own problems.

Mercury strongly disagreed with them all, thinking the Senshi could help Prince Endymion and the Golden Palace achieve piece. But she knew better than to voice her opinion in court; it would only put in evidence her particular, personal fondness for the blue orb, and possibly put in danger a current secret affair between two very particular, runaway royals. Along with the relationships their guardians had developed with each other; she was perfectly aware of the tender, longing love between Venus and Kunzite -a surprising event, considering the Shitennou's first commander's tendency to stoicism and seriousness, bordering on coldness-, the sweet, filled with laughter and tales of joy and stars and totems of love relationship between Jupiter and Nephrite, and the demanding, rather passionate love between Jadeite and Mars, no matter how much the latest kept on denying any real feelings for the blonde earthling.

"Alright," she said, nodding her head and taking Zoisite's hand in hers. "Come."

With no further delay, she guided them both through the mass of bodies. All the way up the Palace's entry stairway, right around it and going through the garden of arches -a marble construction she knew Zoisite would rather admire with all the time in the world, but that was currently not possible-, and well past the manicured garden.

It was a bit of a labyrinth of bushes and flowers and trees and columns; one people didn't wander into unless they knew it well, or else they could get lost inside it. It also was the favorite meeting place for young couples of the court to hide from chaperons, with the many bushes and columns and trees providing a convenient hideout.

Her cheeks burned red at the thought, very conscious of the fact she was going there with a certain blonde, green eyed Shitennou she was very, very fond of…

But she shook that thought away. The place also happened to be perfect for whatever matter of such great importance Zoisite wanted so urgently to discuss, and she trusted the Shitennou's sense of decency and honor enough to know, there wouldn't be any 'activities' that could ever taint her good name. No matter how she had occasionally dreamed and wondered about it…

When they finally reached a spot deep enough into the garden labyrinth that the happy voices became nothing but distant murmurs, she finally made them both stop. Trusting there were no praying eyes and not hearing any suspicious sound that would indicate the hidden presence of a secret couple, she turned to face Zoisite, noticing the worry dancing in green eyes.

"What is it that you wanted to speak of?" she asked, in the most coping tone she could master.

Her tone didn't exactly have the desired effect; rearranging the collar of the jacket, Zoisite seemed to consider the words carefully before voicing them. "Lady Mercury," the use of royal title didn't escape her, and she winced inwardly at it, "I'm afraid I have not been completely honest with you."

Her heart seemed to forget how to beat at the words. She had feared, oh God!, she had feared so much that this moment would come. She knew Lord Zoisite was not betrothed, but she also knew of the many beautiful women in the Golden Kingdom's court; what was she, simple, plain Mercury, compared to such beautiful women? Why would someone of such important rank and position want to court her, if not for mere entertainment? A challenge, maybe a bet, she had feared that was all she was for the green eyed Shitennou…

A gentle hand taking hers made her look up, only now realizing she had adverted her eyes away.

Zoisite kissed her hand again, taking the time to admire how the black fingerless glove complemented her fair skin. "My intentions…" the blonde began, looking up at her again and swallowing visibly, "my… my feelings… for you… are real," Zoisite said, with such honesty that it made her heart dance inside her. "You must know that," there was a lingering begging tone to the words, she noted with some concern. "You have me at your feet. My heart and soul belong to you," again, there was such a sincerity in the words, Mercury was sure she could melt under those eyes, under their intensity and light. "And I would happily turn these words into more than mere promises and court you properly, if not…"

"I know," she was fast to say, placing her free hand on top of Zoisite's still holding hers. She took it to her lips, taking the brown leathered glove off and then kissing it gently, albeit shyly. "I know, and I understand, Lord Zoisite."

"I would if I could," the blonde said, in a slightly trembling voice, yet never losing its honesty.

Long, warm, slender fingers traced her cheek, slightly, reverently, and her eyes drifted close in their own accord. Her heart melt in longing and love, for once not letting her own shyness win over as she leaned in over towards the gentle touch, welcoming it.

"I would shout it out for the entire universe to know, if not for the dangers…"

"I know," she said again, nodding her head. The peace treaties, civil war, people on earth distrustful of the 'witches of the skies', as they called them, and their own duty to their respective kingdoms. She was painfully aware of all these, of the great abyss that stood between them. "The risks are too great."

The hand on her cheek drew away and she blinked up, looking at a distressed looking Shitennou as Zoisite took a few steps back.

"There is… one important matter…" Zoisite began, not looking up at her, "that I have been hiding from you, and…" a deep breath, a pregnant pause. "And I'm afraid you will despise me once I tell you," green eyes looked at her again, but only briefly. There was fear and uncertainty dancing in those eyes she cared for so much. "And if so, then I find myself in the need of pleading to your discretion, trusting you would keep the knowledge of such matter to yourself, regardless of whatever opinion you may have of me after I tell you."

She let out the breath she never realized she was holding, relieved. So this was what the Shitennou wanted to talk about…

"Zoisite…" she tried to take a step forward, but stopped when the blonde took another one backwards.

"I am not who you think I am."

"I know," she said, trying to look into those green orbs to somehow let the blonde know, it was alright. "I could never despise you, Zoisite," she stated, as her blush came back full force to her cheeks then, and she didn't even bother on trying to fight it. "And I only hope this does not change your intentions…"

That made the Shitennou look up at her again; eyes wide and rounded. "Nothing would ever change that," Zoisite said, firmly. But then the uneasiness came back into green eyes. "But Lady Mercury," again with the title, she thought; it was only making the distance between them that much greater, "you do not understand. I am not…"

Easily seeing how hard it was for Zoisite to come up with the words, how difficult it seemed to voice such a deep, personal secret; sensing the green eyed Shitennou's fear and wanting nothing more than to see those dazzling emeralds shining down on her once more, she met the distance between them. Placing a silencing hand over slightly trembling lips, smiling up and, for once in her life letting the masks fall off, she allowed her eyes to welcome and show the love, that sweet, tender love she felt, not caring how forbidden it was.

She had been hiding from it, to everyone and to herself, for too long already, and she was tired. It was vetoed, it was unthinkable, but it was also so indescribably amazing. It took her breath away and it filled her every pore with life; unlike anything her rational mind had ever told her, it gave her strength and hope, and it filled her heart, her every soul and essence with joy and happiness, and dreams and… love.

So what if it was forbidden? Zoisite had always been honest and quite forward about it. And if the proud -strong, understanding, compassionate, loyal, amazingly beautiful…- Shitennou was now willing to risk it all by voicing the truth, then why should she deny her love any longer?

"I know," she said once more, hoping the naked honesty in her eyes wouldn't escape the blonde.

And when, indeed, green eyes went wide opened in realization, mouth opening and closing a few times with no real words coming out, she allowed the knowing, slightly conceited smile tugging at the corner of her lips to finally arrive.

"I am the Palace's physician," she pointed out. "If I were not able to tell the difference between a man and a woman, then I should not hold that position at all. Don't you agree, Lord Zoisite?" she reasoned, immensely satisfied and quite a bit amused when green eyes kept on staring at her. And even though she knew there was not a soul around to hear her, no one but the mouth-gaping blonde in front of her, still, her next words came as a soft whisper as she leaned in closer, gazing up into those amazing, marvelous green eyes. "Or should I say, Lady Zoisite?"

.-.

A few more words were exchanged back then, and a set of soft, loving kisses followed, words of love softly whispered. And somehow, she wasn't quite sure of how, but somehow, she managed to keep the red from coming to her cheeks at the memory.

It all came to her in a matter of seconds, less even, and it suddenly made perfect sense. Or as much sense as everything that was Senshi related made. Because, really, being the reincarnation of the Princess of Mercury, a past life on the Moon, and being able to magically transform into a legendary warrior that ran around the city in high heels and a miniskirt, a blue visor with the ability to penetrate and see through walls and flesh, pointing at the indented target with extreme ease and a hand-computer -which, really, wasn't that much bigger than Minako's makeup powder pact- that was able to scan pretty much anything, living or not, down to the last tiny molecule for her greedy eyes to see and inspect? Though completely natural to her, it didn't particularly make that much sense when put into words…

Still, it made perfect sense. And the realization that she had not been as perceptive as her own past self troubled her. But then again, Ami had never really allowed herself to put that much thought into anything related to the green eyed Shitennou.

Everyone was still staring at the blonde young woman, and Minako's half accusing, all the way surprised long finger was still pointing at the youngest of the Shitennou. And it was probably because of that, that all eyes turned to her, wide and blinking in pure surprise, when the simple affirmation of the truth escaped her lips.

"She's always been a girl."

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**Graceling42:** that line was a moment of inspiration, and I just had to use it. Personally, when I think Sarah Connor, I think Lena Headey *sigh!*. But whatever floats your boat is fine by me! And it was easier to just say "movies" than explaining Lena made one hot sexy Sarah on the TV show and not a movie… too much explanation…  
I know, I'm a terrible person, leaving everyone wondering what's gonna happen on the "it's not a real date" date. And I am feeling terrible about it. But I just hadn't found the right kind of inspiration for writing that yet. I will the second my muse comes back, promise!


	15. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: all and any Sailor Moon character belongs to Naoko Takeuchi. I just own the idea for this story. So don't sue me, but please don't steal either!

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**14**

The outburst coming from the young blonde woman she easily recognized as Venus surprised her.

Admittedly, she had forgotten all about the fact that they had not been aware of her not so small little secret back then. But to her credit, she had been sure they were quite aware of it now, considering her gender had not been a secret seven years ago. And even without that, she was sure at least Mamoru would have let them in on their little secret by now.

Apparently -obviously-, she had been wrong in her assumptions.

"She's always been a girl," a soft voice said, getting all eyes off of her for a moment and to the young, petite woman sitting quietly under the shadow of a sakura tree.

Impossibly blue eyes. Blue hair, short and well kept. Fair skin, and a light blush decorating her cheeks as blue eyes looked down at the bricked floor, utterly embarrassed and obviously uncomfortable as everyone's attention turned to her.

Well, that answered that half asked mental question in which answer she had only been mildly interested in. Mercury did remember after all.

"That explains a few things," was the comment coming from the small black cat resting on Mercury's lap.

She blinked, once, before the symbol on the cat's forehead erased all traces of surprise out of her mind. "Right, the Queen's advisor from Mau," she acknowledged, bowing her head politely.

"Luna," the feline introduced herself, bowing her head as well. "Nice to meet you."

"Advisors," a male voice corrected her, making her turn to the teenage girl she didn't recognize and the white fur ball resting on her lap. "You may want to make that plural."

"My apologies," she said, respectfully bowing her head again to the obviously offended feline, even if hers had been an honest mistake.

"But… but I… you… how…" Venus mumbled, clearly still confused.

"That," the tall brunette woman said -Jupiter, clearly-, pointing at Venus and gifting an amused smile that still mirrored some of her leader's surprise, "can be translated as, 'we thought you were a guy back in the Silver Millennium?'"

"And how did _you_ know he was a she?" the raven haired young woman who Zoe recognized as Mars asked, as the Miko turned around on her heels, pointing an accusing finger at Mercury. "No, wait," she soon said, raising her hands up in the air, palms up, "I don't wanna know…"

The red that came to Mercury's face was so intense, Zoe wondered if the girl would instantly combust any moment now. Her own cheeks were bright red as well, judging by the heat she could feel there now. And, well, she was quite embarrassed herself; Mars implicit accusation had been everything but subtle…

Of course, Masato's teasing, questioning eyebrow and Jei's evilly amused smile weren't helping either. Even Kun was staring at her now. And though anyone else would have describe his face expression as completely blank, Zoe knew better; she could easily recognize the barely perceptible inclination of the corner of his lips. She knew it wasn't exactly a disapproving, chastising kind of gesture -or else he would get a very long, well overdue demand of explanations of what exactly had he been doing with the leader of the Senshi, and why exactly would he be glowing and inexplicably tired after meeting with said Senshi-, but it was still highly embarrassing.

"It's not what you think…" she managed to mumble.

"She told me," Mercury said, still as bright and red as a fresh tomato, and not once looking up from the seemingly highly interesting floor.

_Thank you, Mercury_, she said, mentally, as she turned to look at her comrades. One hand pointing at the petite blue haired woman, she arched one perfectly lined eyebrow in a clear, silent 'See?' manner.

_Men!_, she thought to herself, condescending. They really needed to get their minds off the gutter! Just because they had been unable to keep their hands to themselves and off the Senshi, didn't mean she had gone down the exact same road…

Not that Zoisite hadn't thought about it -and daydreamed about it, more than once. But that was completely irrelevant now; she had no plans for picking up that past sort of relationship where they had left it, no matter how prettily cute the bluenette looked right now, all blushed like that…

"Everyone," Mamoru's voice finally came to the rescue, putting an end to the highly embarrassing moment and making all eyes turn to him instead as he put a gentle hand on her shoulder, "this is Zoe Calhoun," he introduced her, smiling down at her. "Zoe, this is everyone."

Formal, proper introductions followed.

The young woman she had recognized as Mercury, Jupiter and Mars were now Mizuno Ami, Kino Makoto and Hino Rei. She had already known the blonde with the very unique hairdo -the royal hairstyle that signaled her as a true child of the Moon- was Tsukino Usagi, for the Prince had already told her that much, and now she finally had a last name to add to Venus' civil form.

Of course, she recognized Tenoh Haruka and Kaioh Michiru, Uranus and Neptune respectively, and was introduced to the cute teenage girl named Tomoe Hotaru, who apparently was the legendary, feared Senshi of Death. And Rebirth, as it was pointed out to her by the olive skinned woman with a strangely comforting but still somehow uncanny smile. And Zoe couldn't help but notice how suitable it was, for Meioh Setsuna to be this Sailor Pluto she had heard so much about already.

"Alright, then," Mars said, straightening her back as her penetrating violet eyes looked straight into her green ones, and Zoe felt as if the Miko was staring right into her very soul. "Shall we?" she asked, walking up the small set of stairs and opening the paper panel door, making a small gesture with her hand for her to step inside.

Mercury… no, Ami. Mercury was Ami, Mars was Rei. She had some serious getting used to names work to do…

Ami stood up then, gently placing the black cat on the floor and making her way up herself, stepping inside without much of a word. And Zoe just stood there, hesitating for a moment.

A gentle hand on her shoulder made her look up into Jei's blue eyes. The kind smile he gifted her with was reassuring, and, taking a deep breath, she did as she was silently told, stepping into the room herself.

.-.

The tender smile and the reassuring look he sent Zoe's way didn't escape her. But she shook her head, clearing her mind; she couldn't care less about _him_.

She signaled for the blonde to make herself comfortable, satisfied when she silently obeyed, and surprised when she didn't do so as Rei would have thought she would. Instead of sitting down crossed leg, like any other tourist did when first coming to the Shrine, Zoe deposited herself in one of the cushions on the floor, resting on her knees.

Ami did the same beside the blonde woman, producing her Mercury computer out of thin air and opening it, typing something in it and bringing it to life in no time. She noticed Zoe's curious interest perking up at the sight of the mini-computer, but she ignored it, kneeling down over the remaining cushion herself, right in front of the silent Shitennou.

It wasn't the room of the Sacred Fire, but that was alright. She didn't need it for what she was about to do. Or at least she hoped she didn't; her own senses had been enough to caress the other Shitennou's minds before, searching for the threads that moved their souls for traces of evil, and she was counting on this one not being that much different from the others.

She wasn't particularly fond of the idea of them being here, except maybe for Kun and Masato -her friends seemed to be so happy about them being here, Rei couldn't find it in herself to resent their presence. But since they were, in fact, here, and there was nothing she could do about it, at least she prayed there wouldn't be any nasty surprise jumping at their backs, and she had the means to make absolutely sure of that.

Closing her eyes, she took a couple of deep, steady breaths, willing herself to open up.

To her surprise, it was fairly easy to enter Zoe's mind. It was as if the girl wore her every feeling-or memories, in this case- right under her sleeve. Everything was right there for her to take a look at, as if the blonde woman was still dealing with some heavy guilt. Heavier than that of the other three.

Well, good. She had been the first one to fall; everybody knew that. She deserved her guilt.

Also to her surprise, she could feel _him_. He was right there, in Zoe's mind, like an omnipresent being. But he was not really invading or doing much at all, really, and Rei wondered if Zoe could feel his presence there.

Her emotions were all mixed up, and in return, the images flying to her mind were nothing more than out of order flashes of memories. A funeral, and the young woman crying next to two gravestones; a very young Zoisite meeting her comrades for the first time; a teenage Zoe waking up in some hospital, feeling lost and disorientated; a young Zoisite again, standing in front of a mirror as she carefully put bindings over breasts, making absolutely sure they were tightly -hurtfully- in place; a tender moment between her and the Prince, as Mamoru gifted her the very same necklace that was now hanging from her neck, the green Zoisite proudly resting in between her collarbones; a sweet, tender moment and a love confession under the blue earth at the Moon Palace's Garden…

She skipped that one fast. It felt weird looking at it, specially considering the person those feelings had been confessed to was sitting right next to her, working her own magic with that computer of hers.

_Focus, Rei. Focus_, she told herself, clearing her own thoughts.

There were no traces of evil. Regret, sure. Sorrows, quite a large list. But no evil. And though with any of the other three that alone would have been enough, she couldn't help herself; entering Zoe's mind -and therefor, seeing Zoisite's memories- was so easy, maybe this was her chance to understand, to really understand what exactly had happened back then.

She took another deep breath, trying to get a bit deeper.

And then she saw it.

A strong hit on the head and an equally strong kick on the stomach, making the person in the grey uniform double over in blinding pain, at the verge of losing consciousness. Something about consorting with the Moon bitch and sending a message to their traitorous Prince. A strong, rude hand grabbing a honey blonde, curly head, forcing it into muddy, dirty water and then pulling it out, just enough to allow one big, deep breath and then a desperate, delirious cry piercing through the night. A chocked scream, filled with pure terror and desperation, and wicked, evil laughter mocking it. And then…

Violet eyes snapped open, and a staggered breath escaped her.

"Are you alright?" Ami's soft voice made her jump, and she turned to look into suddenly concerned eyes.

She eyed the blonde, considering her answer for a moment. Zoe's concerned eyes mirrored Ami's, and Rei wondered what exactly had happened.

She had felt him. She had clearly felt Jadeite shutting her off and away from Zoe's mind, literally pushing her out and away from…

_What was that?_

"Rei?" Ami asked, her concern increasing with her silence.

"I'm fine," she managed to say, tugging a lock of raven hair behind her ear and swallowing, trying to make some sense out flashing, confusing images, and trying to erase them all at the same time.

"Is there something wrong?" Zoe asked, genuinely worried.

She shook her head, standing up. "No, no," she assured her. "Everything's perfectly fine. You're all good," she said, turning to look at her friend. "Are you done?"

"Almost," Ami answered, standing up as well. "The scan is almost done, but we can finish up outside, if you need some air."

"Yeah, sure," she agreed. "Let's get this over with already."

With that, she opened the sliding door again, stepping outside and not looking back.

Her eyes landed almost automatically in blue ones, and a cold shiver ran down her spine as the confusing, flashing images invaded her mind once more. And she didn't need to inquire too much or allow the blonde man to enter her thoughts to understand the silent message he was sending her now as his eyes traveled around the group for a moment before he gazed into her violet eyes again, slightly, almost imperceptibly nodding his head.

She returned the gesture, barely nodding her head as well and silently assuring him she got the message -warning? Threat? Plead?-; whatever it was she just saw, the rest didn't need to know about it.


	16. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: all and any Sailor Moon character belongs to Naoko Takeuchi. I just own the idea for this story. So don't sue me, but please don't steal either!

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**15**

The second they walked out of the room, all eyes turned to them.

"So?" Usagi was the first one to ask, eagerly, and obviously hoping for a positive answer.

She risked a look at Rei before giving one. The Miko was hiding it, but she could tell, something had bothered her, and she looked at her computer and the graphics the scan was giving her, going over everything twice.

There was nothing out of the ordinary there. The variation on potential strength, energy levels and hormones had more to do with the blonde being a Shitennou than with any other condition -medical or of a more supernatural, evil nature-, and she honestly couldn't find anything even remotely wrong. But Rei's reaction back in the room concerned her, and so she waited for her friend to give her answer first.

"All clear," Rei announced, turning to look at her for confirmation. "Ami?"

"Yes, yes," she agreed, nodding her head. "No traces of evil energy," she said, as her eyes were back on the screen and she pushed a few buttons, turning the digital human form the scan gave back to her, waiting for all the data to be finished. "Almost… there…" she trailed off, more to herself than to the rest.

She could literally feel green eyes staring at her. Or, more accurately, staring at her hands, and the Mercury Computer she was currently working on.

Not that it surprised her. The Zoisite she half remembered had been extremely smart, with a particular interest in technology of any kind. The advanced technology her Mercury Computer represented was exactly that and much more, and it didn't really come as a surprise to note, without even looking up at her, that Zoe was currently highly curious about it.

The fact that the blonde young woman was staring at her computer and not at her per say didn't really help to ease her nervousness. There was just something about those studious, curious green eyes that made her uncomfortable.

"Great!" Usagi exclaimed, happily clapping her hands, thrilled with the news.

"Well, then," a husky voice made everyone's attention turned to the tall blonde woman, as Haruka removed herself from the wooden column she had been resting against. "Assuming there is no need for me to worry about history repeating itself…" she trailed off, turning to arch a questioning eyebrow towards Setsuna, looking for confirmation.

"Not at all," the olive skinned woman stated, nodding her head and giving one of those small smiles of hers.

Even if Rei's strange reaction was still bothersome, and even with the data on her computer coming perfectly clear of any evil forces, those three small words came to her as a relief. The woman was the very guardian of Time; is she said everything was alright, then it surely was.

"Good," Haruka said, nodding her head once. "That's all I need to know," she stated, turning towards the curly sandy blonde woman and extending a hand out to her. "Nice meeting you, Zoe Calhoun."

With what Ami could only interpret as a slightly fascinated look upon green eyes, Zoe accepted the other blonde's hand, shaking it. "My pleasure," she said, bowing her head.

The racer chuckled. "Yeah," she said, as she seemed to read Zoe's expression the same way Ami did, and seemed to be slightly amused over it. "Sorry to cut this short, but I have a few errands to run."

"Of course," Mamoru said, nodding his head and shaking hands with the tall woman. "Thank you for coming."

"Yes, thank you guys for coming," Usagi was fast to say, smiling up at the racer and the other three. "I know how busy you are and all."

"Anything for you, Koneko," Haruka said in a tender tone, poking Usagi's nose with one long finger and winking at her teasingly.

As expected -and, quite probably, intended-, a blush came rushing to Usagi's cheeks, and Ami vaguely wondered if her Princess would ever get used to Haruka's teasing, flirting attitude. Not that Usagi was to blame; they all had a tendency to blush bright red whenever the tall blonde would deliver one of her charming lines their way, no matter how much they all knew she was only fooling around a little, enjoying their blushing faces a little bit too much.

Michiru approached the tall woman, linking their arms together as the blonde shoved her hands into her pockets and glared at Mamoru.

"Take good care of her," she said, warningly.

"Now, now, Haruka," Michiru chastised her in that sweet, slightly teasing tone of hers. "You need to stop threatening poor Mamoru, here."

Both the blonde and the Prince laughed, amused.

"Why?" the racer asked. "It's fun," the blonde stated, as her eyes adverted momentarily to Masato; the racer's latest favorite threat victim.

Masato's eyebrow twitched, only for the split of a second and barely visible, and Ami wondered when the chestnut haired man would learn; Haruka's threatening him had nothing to do with anything that had happened in the past -be it their past lives, or seven years ago-, and everything to do with the fact that he was dating Makoto. There was a big-sister baby-sister relationship between the two that went slightly deeper than the one the racer had with the rest of them -Usagi not included-, and the blonde had seen way too many tears in Makoto's green eyes for her liking when no other boy would end up being her old sempai.

Now that he was here, Haruka wanted to make absolutely sure he was worth the trouble.

And then, of course, she had her share of fun, too. And though Ami guessed Masato knew, at least at some subconscious level, that the racer wouldn't actually hurt him -not without a very valid reason, at least-, she could understand him; Haruka knew exactly how to be threatening with just one look.

But for the time being, and probably not wanting to scare Zoe quite yet -Ami wondered if Haruka would try and do exactly that later on-, the blonde just turned around. With Michiru right beside her, and both Setsuna and Hotaru following after them, they waved their goodbyes and left the Shrine, considering their business there done. As the Senshi of the Skies had stated herself, aside from making sure the past would not repeat itself, none of them considered whatever unfinished business with the Shitennou their own, and they had no intention whatsoever of getting in the middle of it.

Her Mercury Computer made a beeping sound, indicating all the information had been finally gathered, the scan completed, and all eyes turned to look at her as she in returned looked down at the screen. There was a digitalized image of Zoe, with graphics filling the screen, offering all the needed information and confirming her earlier diagnosis, though one small curious fact got her attention immediately.

"This is odd…" she trailed off, quite aware of all eyes staring at her as she looked up, first at Zoe, and then at the rest of them. "You're all so healthy …"

"And I'm not?" the woman asked, frowning somewhat worriedly.

She looked up, staring into those green eyes for a moment and switching from foot to foot.

Rationally, she could understand there was nothing particularly special about those eyes. But maybe it was the memory of what her old past self had once felt, or maybe it was the curious, intense, almost penetrating look upon them what made her so utterly uncomfortable when looking into those emeralds. But whatever the reason, Ami found she was barely able to keep her gaze steady for longer than a few seconds.

It was highly disturbing. But right now, she didn't have the time to scold herself over it.

"No, you are," she assured her, looking back down into her computer.

The digitalized image gave her all the necessary information. Her energy levels were just about right -considering she was no simple human-, she was perfectly healthy, and the dormant power she had read in the others was alive and growing in Zoe. Probably because, with her finally here, they were now complete, and their powers were now finally awakening. Which was to be expected, she reasoned; the Golden Crystal, recognizing its guardians and loyal servants, was now calling up to them, awakening innate powers within them.

All good and nice. But there was one curious fact she had not found in the others.

She was fully aware and quite lectured in all and everything that set the Shitennou apart. Their strength and very nature being one of those things, she knew they were not only physically strong, but usually very healthy. Just like the Senshi, their healing rate was faster than that of any normal person, they rarely scared, and it took an incredibly amount of force delivered in the form of a very strong impact for them to end up with a broken bone, considering theirs were slightly stronger in terms of density.

Which was why the image her computer was showing her now surprised her. Already well past the remodeling phase, her Mercury Computer could easily pick on the callus there, even if it was at least ten years old.

"What is it?" Mamoru asked, obviously concerned.

"It's nothing, really," she assured him. "Is just that… you broke your arm," she finished in a half questioning tone, looking up at Zoe for unneeded confirmation.

Green eyes blinked in surprise. "Oh, that," she said, shaking her shoulder and dismissing any importance out of it. But then she frowned. "You can see that?" she asked, pointing curiously at her Mercury Computer.

For whatever reason, the bluenette blushed, blinking at her for a moment before looking down at the screen again. "Uh, yes."

"Really?" the blonde asked, fascinated now, as a cheeky smile made it to her lips. "Where can I get one of those?" she asked, now turning to Mamoru.

"You broke your arm?" Masato asked at the same time, surprised. "How on earth did you manage to do that?" he then asked, now suspiciously amused.

Zoe shook a shoulder, nonchalantly. "I wanted to test the acceleration rate of different bodies and how much gravity affects their attraction towards each other," she stated, in a matter-of-fact tone. "Needless to say, my little experiment was a complete failure."

Easily catching the joke, she covered her lips with her hand as a small chuckle escaped her.

As expected, Mamoru and Kun were able to catch it right away as well. While Mamoru chuckled, a small, amused smile made it to the corner of Kun's lips, as Jei and Masato -and everyone else, she noticed- blinked at the blonde woman a couple of times.

"I fell off a tree," Zoe finally explained, again shaking her shoulder when Masato right out laughed at her, while the rest just chuckled. "I was seven, ok?" she then provided. "What seven year-old listens to their parents when they tell them not to do something?"

"Obedient ones," Kun answered to the rhetorical question in a rather chastising tone, though Ami could see, there was something aching to amusement dancing in the tanned man handsome features.

"What else can you see with that?" the blonde woman asked, deliberately changing the subject and turning to look at her while pointing at her computer. "What information can you get?"

"Only the basics," she answered. "Energy levels and the developing rate of your powers, a complete hormonal and clinical analysis," she listed, checking the screen once more. "Bone structure, density and strength, brain and all main organs activity to assure correct functioning, and also any print of any medical or surgical procedure you've ever had, which in this case and aside from your arm, is none."

There was a long pause after she finished, with more than just a few set of eyes blinking at her in sheer surprise.

"You call that 'basic information'?" Masato asked, blinking in disbelief.

A blush made it to her cheeks, and she shrunk her shoulders. "It's what I need," she tried to explain. "I need to know how the energy patterns of each and every one of you acts…"

"So that you can make sure there is no demon inside us," Kun put in for her.

She nodded her head, admittedly. "But also in case of a sudden energy drop or wound," she explained. "I need to know if there are any allergies, or even a preexisting disease or condition, so that in the case of a serious wound, I'll know what to do without risking a counterproductive reaction that could be fatal."

It had happened before; one of them getting hurt bad enough that a pack of ice and a band aid just wouldn't cut it. There had been times when stitches to help their own natural accelerated healing process, or antibiotics for a particularly nasty, deep, and often infected after a battle wound had been needed. And with the need to protect their identities, going to a hospital had never been an option, and certain measures had to be taken.

She had stolen one of her mother's prescription pads and then forged her signature in order to be able to get the needed medication. She was sure there would be a properly equipped infirmary in Crystal Tokyo, but that time was yet to come; in the meantime, if the need shall arise again, and with both Mamoru and herself now having access to it, she was sure stealing from the hospital's pharmacy was not beyond them.

She wasn't particularly proud of that. But the hospital could live without a box of antibiotic vials and a few missing needles and bandages; a wounded Senshi, or worse, was just not an option.

"Sounds good to me," Jei said, shaking a shoulder and looking at his comrades.

They all nodded they agreement, as a thoughtful frown came to Zoe's features. "What about a tracking system?" she asked, suddenly.

"What do you mean?" Ami asked back, confused.

"You do have some sort of system to monitor earth's activity, right?"

She blinked, surprised at the question, and more than just a bit ashamed at her lack of a positive answer to it. Sure, they could track any abnormal activity with her Mercury Computer, but they haven't really thought about coming up with a monitoring system, even though, now that she thought about it, she could easily understand the convenience and need of it.

"We can track any abnormal activity…" she began.

"And what if this abnormal activity comes from a different realm?" she asked, painfully reminding Ami the fact that the Dark Kingdom had been able to hide their headquarters for so long precisely because of that. "Or if it's so deep into the ground or so high up in the atmosphere that you can't track it?"

"Like the Death Busters, or the Black Moon clan," Luna pointed out, agreeing with the blonde woman. "I admit we never really thought about it, and we don't really have the means to…"

"So what? You just wait for an enemy to attack?" the green eyed Shitennou continued, frowning disapprovingly now.

Though her brain understood where Zoe was going with this, she couldn't help but feel insulted by her questioning.

They had been doing perfectly fine without her help. More than fine, actually, saving the earth and the entire galaxy from total destruction on more than just one occasion. She certainly didn't appreciate her coming in and questioning their methods.

But before she could open her mouth and say exactly that, Mamoru beat her to it. "I'm sure we can work something out later."

"But…"

"Later," the Prince insisted, interrupting Zoe before she could voice her protest.

The blonde woman raised her hands, palms up. "Sorry I brought it up," she apologized, though Ami could see, she wasn't sorry at all.

And that just made her angry. Who exactly did she think she was? Coming in and pointing accusing fingers? She had no idea of what they had faced, and no right to judge their methods.

"Well, like Mamoru said," Makoto began, shaking her shoulder. "I'm sure we can work something out later on. But for now, nice to meet you, Zoe," she said, smiling widely. "Welcome to the gang."

Usagi and Minako jumped right in, gifting the blonde Shitennou with wide smiles and welcoming words, and the tense air of just a moment ago dissipated.

At least for the majority. She was just not comfortable with the way the blonde had just questioned her methods and she was still offended by it. But even with that, she sat around the Shrine's yard with them, not really participating in the conversation but still listening. And it wasn't hard for her to pick up on Zoe's slight discomfort.

It didn't surprise her, considering the young woman had just arrived to the country and was probably not used to having a bunch of -sometimes extremely enthusiastic- women wanting to know everything about her. Women Zoe didn't know, to that. She was probably still getting acquainted with the rest of the Shitennou and Mamoru; being familiar with them all was just not something that was going to happen over a friendly conversation.

She didn't particularly care, but she knew her friends meant well. Which was also why she was able to sympathize with Zoe; she knew exactly how overwhelming they could get at times. Specially when one was not accustomed to being the center of their undivided -and again, overenthusiastic- attention; she had had years of training on that area, while Zoe had only had less than an hour.

So yes, she wasn't exactly participating in the small exchange, and Zoe was looking a bit overwhelmed by everything and everyone. But the fact that Rei had yet to say something more than simple monosyllables ever since walking out of that room was something that did not escape her, and her silence added a certain air of awkwardness to the meeting slash hang out.

Jei was awfully quiet as well, and Ami couldn't help but wonder what was that all about.

Mamoru seemed to notice this as well. Or at least Zoe's discomfort, for he soon came to her rescue, reminding them all that the young woman had just had an exhausting couple of days already and that she still needed to get settled. But it wasn't until everyone got the hint and finally said their goodbyes, letting the Shitennou and the Prince go, when something even more strange and surprising happened.

Walking up to the blonde and without much of a word, Rei engulfed Zoe in a tight, heartfelt hug. And as she saw Zoe blinked, surprised at the gesture, smiling, albeit awkwardly, and patting the Miko's back, Ami wondered; what on earth had happened on that room?


	17. Chapter 16

**Discalimer: **All and any Sailor Moon characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi. Everything else belongs to me. Please do not steal!

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Alrightie, here's another chap. To whoever's reading this, hope you enjoy it!

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**16**

"Things went well."

The comment broke the quiet moment, and she interrupted her task of sweeping to look up at her friend. With a broom on her hands herself, Rei just stood there, as if waiting for some kind of comment in answer to hers.

After Mamoru and the rest of the guys left, Minako, Makoto, Usagi and herself decided to stay a bit longer. Mostly just to talk, primary about Zoe, but their conversation soon turned into other, none Senshi related issues.

Claiming it was already bad enough he had to live with not one but three women, Artemis had decided he did not need to listen to their girl talk, and Luna had declared she had more important things to do than listening to them talking about shoes and clothes and tv shows. Of course, she knew both cats would probably go to their respective homes and take a nice, long nap, but she could understand how they would consider that a better way to spend their evening; Luna found their 'girly talk' unproductive, and Artemis just found it boring.

But everyone was already gone by now, and it was just her and Rei left. While Makoto had clearly stated that she was going to Masato's with all the intention of making him dinner, she knew better than to expect Minako to be home. And, although she enjoyed the time alone and the prospect of being able to enjoy a nice documentary on tv without having to fight over the dominance of the remote control was promising, she had decided that it could wait a bit longer, and she had stayed behind to help Rei cleaning up.

But Rei's comment was more than just a little bit vague, and Ami wasn't sure of what exactly her friend was referring to.

"You know, all of them being here," Rei provided, taking her silence as a need of an explanation to her previous statement. "All good and sound, with no evil entity taking over them."

"Oh," she said, blinking. But then she frowned. "I thought you didn't care much about them," she pointed out.

Rei shook a shoulder, going back to her sweeping task. "I don't care about Jei," she corrected her, not without adding a good amount of distrust and disgust to his name. "But I care about Mamoru, and I know how much he wanted to have them all here with him."

She nodded at that, understanding the point. It was exactly what she had said to Makoto and Minako, just this morning.

"Masato and Kun are alright, though," Rei continued. "I mean, they're still on probation in my book, but, you know… they're ok."

"Kun helped us with that plumber situation," she pointed out. "He's more than ok in my book," she joked.

Though it wasn't really a joke. They had been able to get a plumber and fix the problem for them, not having to take an ice cold shower because there was some sort of problem with the hot water pipe which in return was making a mess on Makoto's bedroom wall, all by themselves. But after coming in, breaking the wall and floor and fixing the pipe, said plumber had said it was not his job to leave their bathroom in the same conditions he had found it, wanting to charge an outrageous amount of money for a half done job.

It was only thanks to Kun that they now had a habitable bathroom once more. And she certainly appreciated that.

Rei smiled. "Minako probably got him to do that," she said, shaking a shoulder.

"He's the reason I don't have to worry about accidentally killing myself when stepping out of the shower," she reasoned, remembering the big hole that had been decorating their bathroom floor for an entire week. "I don't care if Minako asked him to, and I certainly don't care if he scared to death that plumber with one of those stern, angry faces of him," she pointed out. "He got it done, and for that he has my appreciation and gratitude."

Rei chuckled. "Right," she agreed, nodding her head. "So, everything worked out wonderful for everyone."

She frowned at that, not sure of where her friend was going with that comment.

"I have to admit, tough, I'm kinda surprised," the raven haired woman continued. "I mean, you never said anything about... her…"

She let out a sigh, nodding her head. So, this was where Rei was going…

"I didn't know," she offered. "My memories from that time are vague, and I never particularly cared that much," she explained. "But when I saw her today, I just…"

"Remembered," Rei put in for her, nodding her head in understanding. "Yeah. Sometimes it's like that for me too. I'm fine and doing my own thing, and all of a sudden I remember something," she explained. "Most of the times, all it takes is for him to say or do something," she said. "Anything really. Even a small gesture. It's so annoying."

"It's that why you avoid him?" she asked, shrinking her shoulders and hoping she was not getting completely out of line and potentially angering her friend with such question. But, well, she was curious; if Jei's presence was a trigger for memories from the Silver Millennium, then it seemed logical to try to avoid him as much as possible if said memories were something that made Rei uncomfortable.

She could relate to that feeling, after all. Her dreams often made her uncomfortable too, reminding her of feelings and promises that held little to no meaning to her now; she didn't have those feelings now, she didn't care about those empty promises, and the entire love thing just made her uneasy and sick.

At least she no longer got an allergic reaction anymore; she didn't even want to think what it would be like to wake up with a rash every other morning just because the past decided to visit her in her dreams, making her utterly uncomfortable with all that love stuff…

Rei frowned. "I don't avoid him," she argued. "I barely know him."

Ami refrained herself from pointing out that that was precisely the reason why she didn't know him; she barely ever pay him any attention. By now, Rei had mastered the art of avoiding him to the point where she was never in the same place with Jei, unless everyone else was there as well; she had put up a wall so high and so thick, that there was no viable reason for them to be on the same room unless it was because of a gathering, be it a birthday or just a friendly hang out at a bar, with everyone present.

And though she was not about to play advocate for love and ask Rei to give Jei a chance -that was Minako's job-, she was smart enough not to buy Rei's so called indifference towards the guy. She didn't have Minako's perceptivity when it came to matters of the heart, but she didn't need it to see, Rei was affected by him. Either if it was because her pride wouldn't let her acknowledge and admit she had once again fallen for the blonde's charm -or whatever it was that had made him fall for him the first time around- or because she hadn't quite figured it out yet, Ami wasn't sure. She just hoped it wouldn't be a remake of what had happened with Yuichiro; by the time Rei had finally admitted she 'sorta kinda' had feelings for him, and after taking her sweet time to gather her courage and do something about it -or at the very least acknowledge his always so shy advances-, it had been too late, and someone else had walked into Yuichiro's life.

That was all over now, and Rei was really happy for the brunette and his beautiful wife. She was a kind, sweet woman who not only accepted but also respected Yuichiro's work and spiritual life. He still worked at the Shrine, helping both Rei and her grandfather, and his wife had agreed to move in with him to help around as well.

A much appreciated gesture, considering Rei's grandpa wasn't getting any younger, and his health was beginning to be a constant source of concern. That, and then of course the old man just wouldn't lay down when his doctor told him so. So of course Rei appreciated their help, and she had no problem in accepting Yuichiro's wife in, giving her free access and use of their kitchen so that she could continue to work on her small, homemade scented candles enterprise; not only it represented an income, but it also assured a nice smell to fill the entire place, with cinnamon, incense and lavender still lingering in the air all around long after she had finished making her candles.

But that was now. Before… well, Rei had been a mess. And Ami didn't want to see her friend going through that pain again just because her pride wouldn't let her admit her own feelings even to herself…

"Anyway! Don't go around and change the subject!" Rei exclaimed, getting out of her thoughts.

"I'm not changing the subject," Ami argued. "I'm just curious."

"So am I," the raven haired woman agreed, nodding her head vigorously. "So come on, tell me. How did you find out?" she asked, resting both hands on the top of the broom's handle and looking at her, curiously.

For unknown reasons, a tint of red made came rushing to her cheeks. "I told you…"

"Yeah, yeah," Rei interrupted, waving her hand. "She told you, I know," she said. "But how? When?" she then asked. "And what did you say when she told you? How did you react?"

A flashing image of Zoisite standing in that garden under the earth's light, opening her jacket up and then untangling a rather wide scarf off her neck rushed to her mind. The action revealed a sand colored lambskin eyelet corset laced up front and with cap sleeves that marked every bit of a very feminine body in a fashion that reminded Ami those Old West american movies, yet she knew, such was not an usual attire for a working woman back at the time. Which probably represented a very good disguise for the Shitennou, should anyone see her talking to a Senshi; it was not unusual for people to approach any of them during such events, and no one would have suspected the green eyed woman's true identity.

But as her mind noted that perfectly logical fact, the red burning her cheeks increased.

"_I... I wanted you to see me,_" she heard Zoisite's voice, husky and shy, as she showed herself. "_The real me._"

"_You're beautiful,_" she then heard her own past self saying.

Shutting her eyes closed and trying to cool down her cheeks, she shoved the memory of the kiss that followed to a corner of her mind.

"I already knew," she finally answered. But when Rei just blinked at her, she let out a sigh. "By the time she told me, I've already figured it out."

"Oh," was all Rei said, blinking in surprise. "And you were ok with it?" she then asked, frowning curiously. "I mean, with… you know… her being a woman?"

Again, she blushed. "How is that relevant?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Rei said, rather mockingly. "You had an affair with a woman, and you don't think that's relevant?"

"I didn't have an affair with her!" she exclaimed as her cheeks burned deeply red, embarrassed and exasperated.

"So you _do_ remember."

She took a deep breath, fighting her embarrassment and trying to calm herself. "Nothing happened," she said, in as much of a clear, calm tone as she could master right now. "Yes, I was… infatuated…"

"Infatuated?" Rei repeated, arching a mocking eyebrow.

"And she told me during the Harvest Festival," she continued, slightly raising her voice just to make her friend shut up. "And you know what came right after that, so no, _nothing_ happened, alright?"

Rei's expression changed from mocking to sympathetic and understanding, and it bothered Ami more than the mocking. It was something she expected from Minako, or even from Makoto, but why was Rei so interested in her frustrated, short love affair with Zoisite?

"Anyway, what about you?" she asked, deliberately changing the subject as she remembered the Miko's previous behavior.

Rei frowned. "What about me?"

"What did you see?"

Violet eyes blinked at her for a moment, before Rei shook whatever came to her mind off, shoving one long lock of raven hair off her shoulder. "What do you mean?"

"When you did your reading," she offered. "Something bothered you."

Rei just shrugged. "She was under Beryl's spell," she said. "Not exactly pleasant images…"

"If you saw something in your reading…"

"No, no," she said, shaking her head several times. "Like I said, everything was fine."

She frowned at that, not buying it at all. "Are you sure?"

"Yup."

"Then what about the hug?" she pointed out.

"What about it?" she asked, again shaking a shoulder and dismissing the observation, taking whatever secret importance Ami suspected it to hold out of it. "I just wanted her to feel welcome," she offered. "Can you image how hard it must've been for her? Having to hide like that, and growing up with those three?"

"Probably similar to what it was like for me to grow up with you, Minako, Makoto and Usagi," she mumbled.

"Hey! No need to be rude!" Rei complained, offended. "I'm on your side, remember?"

She frowned. "What side?" she asked, raising a hand up in the air to silently point out her lack of understanding to whatever point Rei was trying to make.

"The 'we don't need them' side," the Miko answered. "Gees, you're still worked up over that monitoring system comment, aren't you?"

"I'm not mad."

She wasn't. Offended by it, maybe. Intellectually speaking, she admitted that comment had been offending. But she wasn't mad about it; if anything, now that a flaw had been pointed out to her, she could work on it.

"Right."

"I'm not," she insisted.

"If you say so," Rei said, obviously not convinced. "Just remember, I'm on your side."

"There are no sides," she stated, firmly. "Let's just finish up here," she then said, putting an end to that entirely pointless conversation.

If Rei was being like this, she didn't even want to think what Minako and Makoto would be like.

The prospect of going home and enjoying a quiet, alone evening sounded more promising right now; it was pure heaven.

.-.

"So, you knew."

He winced.

He had given her the key to his apartment out of convenience, so that she wouldn't have to wait for him on the hallway in case he got caught up in work for longer than planned.

Something that had happened only once, but it was enough for him to feel guilty about it, at a point and time when he was comfortable enough in their relationship to give her the key. And coming home to a nice, warm meal and her radiant smile each and every time he did get caught at work was worth sacrificing a spare key.

Despite popular believes, she hadn't invaded him. True, there were some items here and there, purely out of convenience and personal hygiene. Like a toothbrush or her shampoo bottle and change of clothes on his closet in case she needed them. But she had yet to redecorate the entire place, like so many popular tales affirmed she would, and the inevitable mess she would leave his kitchen on after making dinner or breakfast was something he could live with. At least he had it better than Mamoru on that area and his kitchen was in no danger of being accidentally set on fire…

No, she did not represent a threat to his kitchen, his apartment and its decoration, or any of his belongings. And he certainly welcomed her presence at any given moment she decided to pull one of her surprise visits. But right now he was beginning to wonder if giving her a key had been such a good idea; he had not considered the possibility of her popping in while being mad at him over something…

He knew he should have been expecting something among those lines, but he had hoped she wouldn't bring it up the second she walked in. Though, to her credit, she didn't really sound as mad as he thought she would.

Turning back from the four cheese pasta he was making, he rested against the counter, facing the woman now standing at the kitchen door. One hand resting on the doorframe, the other on her hip as she tilted her head to a side; her long, silky mane cascading down her shoulder as she did so.

The little frown in her face confirmed his suspicions, and he chuckled at her cutely confused expression.

"Of course I knew," he finally said, nodding his head as he took the apron and shoved it over his shoulder, turning back to the pasta. "I was the one training her."

The sound of her heels against the tiles filled the kitchen right before he felt her petite form right behind him. "But…" she began, moving to be next to him instead and looking at him. "But Ami and her…"

"I warned her about it," he said, shaking his shoulders. But when nothing but silence welcomed his words, he turned to look at her, only to find her frowning and blinking at him, silently demanding a more elaborated answer. "About pursuing a romantic involvement with Mercury without her knowing the truth," he offered. "So I guess Zoisite told her, at one point or another."

She blinked, once, as if considering his guess. But she didn't seem particularly convinced by it, or maybe just not comfortable. He knew she was not a judgmental, close minded person, but maybe it would have been more comfortable for her to know that Mercury had been interested in a man.

Or, maybe she was just not happy about him not telling her.

"Is it such a disgusting thought for you?" he asked, going for option A first.

"No!" she was fast to exclaim; baby blue eyes wide and opened. "Of course not! Hey, love is love, right?" she reasoned. "And I'm friends with Haruka and Michiru, remember?" she pointed out. "They're lesbians, and I don't care about that. I'm friends with them because of who they are, and I just want them to be happy," she babbled in one long breath. "I just hope they never break up," she continued, frowning as she stared up at some point on the ceiling, "'cause picking sides would be just… awkward."

"Your point being…?"

"I don't have a problem with Zoisite being a woman and her involvement with Ami during the Silver Millennium," she answered, crossing her arms over her chest in a defensive manner and proudly pointing her nose up in the air. "I'm just surprised, that's all," she added. "You never told me."

So, option B it was. It didn't exactly make him seem like a good person, but he was hoping it to be option A. That way, he wouldn't have to come up with a way to apologize for something he didn't say a millenia ago to his angry girlfriend.

Again, she didn't seem particularly angry, but he knew better than to underestimate her. She wasn't the leader of the Senshi, and the Senshi of Love herself, for no reason, and she did have a way to manipulate situations until she got what she wanted. And though he certainly didn't mind the make up sex, he was hoping they could skip the arguing part altogether.

"I couldn't tell you back then," he tried to explained, as he took the wine bottle and opened it up. "And I assumed you already knew," he pointed out, pouring the wine in two glasses and handing one to her. "Her being a woman wasn't exactly a secret this time around."

"Yeah, well, I thought Zoisite being a girl this time around was some sort of mistake," she said, as she accepted the plates he just handed to her and took them to the table. "Like, I don't know, maybe Beryl took the twin sister by mistake, or she made a mistake when mixing up the chromosomes with the evil energy on those little test tubes when she created her…" she trailed off, frowning cutely as she rested against the table, taking the glass of wine he offered. "Or something like that," she finished, waving her glass around a little before taking a sip.

He chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm afraid the explanation is far much simpler."

"Simpler?" she repeated. "Yeah, right," she snorted, rolling her eyes as she went to help him finish making dinner, handing him a bowl as he put the pasta on the colander. "A high classified, top State secret. That's perfectly simple," she mocked, taking the bowl off his hands and marching to the table.

Taking a deep breath, he shook his head and walked to the table as well, sitting down and extending his hand out and taking hers.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," he apologized, gently caressing her wrist with his thumb. "I couldn't tell you back then, and then I forgot to mention it."

"I'm not angry, I'm just..."

"Surprised."

"Can you blame me?" she asked back, arching an eyebrow. "I mean, Mars and Jadeite were pretty damn close back then. How would you react if suddenly you find out Mars is a guy, huh?"

He frowned at the mental image of a man wrapped around Mars' Fuku that jumped into his head then. "That would be hard, considering the miniskirt and the high heels."

Again, she arched an eyebrow at him. "You've never seen a drag queen, have you?"

He blinked at that, forcing the image out of his head before it could even begin to form. "I'm trying not to picture Mars as one."

"Could you just allow me this moment of shocking surprise?" she asked. "I mean, cute little Ami having a lesbian relationship with a very female Zoisite? That's even more shocking that her even _having_ a relationship!" she exclaimed, raising her hands up in the air for emphasis.

"That's a little mean," he pointed out.

"Don't get me wrong, I love her," she was fast to say. "I adore her! But I also grew up with her, ok?" she pointed out. "The girl used to get a rash every time she got a love letter," she explained, rolling her eyes.

He chuckled at the comment, handing her the plate as she started serving their food.

She accepted it, placing it in front of her and humming softly as she took her chopsticks. "Well, I guess Ami has a whole lot more in common with Michiru than I thought," she stated, after a small moment of silence.

He frowned at that, a bit confused. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, you know," she said, waving one hand around. "That whole water thing and how they like to spend hours just swimming around," she explained. "A soft spot for blonde women with green eyes. That kind of stuff."

"You don't know that," he argued. "Just because something may had happened between them in the past, doesn't mean it will happen again," he reasoned when she gave him that defiant, knowing look of hers.

He had been afraid of that look.

It was the kind of look that clearly stated game on. And Kun was positive that was a game he did not want to participate in, and he was certain neither Zoe nor Ami wanted Minako to even start it in the first place.

"Please don't play matchmaker with them," he asked, knowing his tone sounded scarily close to begging, and not caring one bit. Not with her, and not when it could stop her from getting in the middle of something she shouldn't get involved with.

"With Ami? Are you _kidding_ me?" she asked back, frowning. "The woman is a genius!" she then exclaimed. "If by any miracle she finds it in her heart to ever forgive me for even thinking about setting her up with someone, she can always come up with a brilliant plan to get back at me!" she exclaimed again. "She knows how to handle chemicals and has access to drugs," she pointed out. "I know she hides it well with that innocent face, but trust me, she's dangerous. You don't wanna mess with her, Mister," she finished, raising one long, slender finger and two blonde eyebrows for emphasis.

He was sure there was a perfectly valid explanation behind his girlfriend's words, but he was also sure that was probably a story he didn't want or needed to know about. He had long ago discovered the insides of the roommates' relationship was something he could live without knowing.

He was just glad Minako wasn't planning on playing matchmaker with Ami and Zoe. They hadn't exactly hit it off right away, and in any case, which ever direction that particular relationship was to take, he didn't want to get tangled in the middle.

Though he did hoped, for coexistence's sake, they would at least get on a more friendly ground sometime in the future. Minako was right; Ami was a genius. And Zoe's own intelligence and knowledge could surely be helpful; an entire future kingdom depended on them all working as a whole, as a team, and that could only happened if they all set their egos apart and put whatever differences and personal unfinished business behind.

He shook his head, deciding to put those thoughts to rest and enjoy his dinner; there wasn't much he could do one way or another, and he certainly had better ideas of how to spend the evening with the beautiful blonde in front of him.


	18. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: all and any Sailor Moon character belongs to Naoko Takeuchi. I just own the idea for this story. So don't sue me, but please don't steal either!

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**17**

She made her way down the street, mad at herself for forgetting yet again to buy a coffee machine.

The last couple of days had been intense, to say the least, and she had had no time to even remember her own morning need and general addiction to caffeine. But she was remembering now, just like she had remembered this morning, right after her latest nightmare forced her out of dreamland.

It seemed she was still dealing with a bit of a jet lag. Or maybe it was the result of the last couple of days, tiring her to exhaustion. Whatever the cause, she no longer welcomed sunrise while laying wide awake in her bed. She was still unable to have a nice, seven hours sleep, with her nightmares and whispering, hissing voices tormenting her. But she was now falling asleep late into the night, which resulted in her waking up early in the morning.

But all things considered, waking up with a cold sweat and her heart just about to explode in her chest when there was light outside was not particularly a bad thing. She faced and dealt with enough darkness in her nightmares, and the morning sun pouring in from the opened window was a warming change she welcomed with opened arms.

Being able to manage their schedules as they pleased, at least for the most part or at some extension, the guys had helped her, going out with her in hunt for furniture, fully unpacking all her belongings, and even painting the apartment. The convenience of either Kun or Masato's car had been highly appreciated when saving her from having to pay a little extra to have the bookshelf or the TV table set delivered, and she was all settled by now.

She even had a job. It wasn't anything major, but it did represent an income, no matter how small. It had come to her by accident, and she figured that the dear old mouth to mouth method could work wonders in her favor. Plus, she had the chance to settle her own schedule, which was just perfect; she could start class right after the summer without having to beg for study time and a change of shifts to a moody boss.

So, she was settled and she had a job. But she had yet to get herself a coffee machine.

She blamed that on the guys. They had spoiled her, always coming around with a coffee cup for her. She wisely chose to ignore the fact that she had been going to the coffee shop just around the corner whenever she would meet up with them later on the day. Blaming them was that much easier than admitting she had simply forgotten such an important thing as assuring herself the means to have a decent cup of coffee without having to get out.

But she was not proud enough not to acknowledge Masato's morning gift was far better than the coffee she got from the shop nearest to her apartment. The girl, Makoto, did seem like a nice person, and she had to admit Kun was right; getting a bit more acquainted with them couldn't hurt.

And, well, she did have a major craving for Jupiter's coffee right now. And she also had a good thirty minutes before she had to head to the park, which left her with more than enough time to enjoy a good cup of heavenly made, highly needed coffee.

Summer was taking its job seriously. She didn't mind the warm weather, but it was the melting down on the spot when walking out on the street, far away from the relief of air conditioner or even a fan, what didn't quite suit her. She was dressed for the day though; the striped cropped trousers were fresh, and though the black racerback tank top was currently concentrating all the sun's heat, it did offer enough support to her otherwise free and unbidden breasts. The black ballet flats added a nice, fresh touch, and she had worked her hair in a messy bun at the top of her head, keeping her hair off her face, neck and shoulders. But even with all that, she made a mental note for future reference; avoiding making appointments in the afternoon during summer time.

Rearranging her crossbody bag over her shoulder, she let out a sigh and taking her sunglasses off, she placed them at the top of her head as she reached her destination.

She sensed him before she saw him, and allowed herself a small sigh of relief as she opened the door, walking into the shop. Just because the woman that ran the place had seemed friendly enough just five days ago, didn't mean she didn't appreciate a little backup in case any kind of disagreement should arise.

The happy ringing of the bells hanging from the door announced her entrance, and she smiled when she spotted the familiar jet black head by the counter.

"You said you come here every day," she started to say as she came to stand next to him, "I just didn't think you meant all day long," she joked. "What are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"It's Saturday," she pointed out, arching a questioning eyebrow.

True, he was not wearing the scrubs he usually sported when he was either coming or going from the hospital he worked at, and the kakhi pants and a fitting white t-shirt clearly stated he had the day off. But the question of why he was here at two in the afternoon on a Saturday was a very valid question. Specially considering the guy had a girlfriend; wasn't he supposed to be hanging out with her? Going to the movies or the mall, or whatever couples did on Saturdays?

Romance wasn't really her thing. Hell, relationships weren't her thing. But even she knew that meeting with one's significant other on the weekends was a big part of the deal, along with being honest and faithful.

And those were the reasons why relationships just weren't her thing. While being faithful wasn't an issue, she loved her quiet privacy too much. She wasn't a loner; she had her friends, and she enjoyed going out and having fun just as much as any other person. But she wasn't exactly the social butterfly either, and meeting new people had always presented some difficulties. Partly, because she wasn't the open and friendly kind of girl; she considered herself easy going enough, but she was just not open to people right away -or ever, on some cases. But mostly because there were many things about her that were not suitable conversation topics and were definitively not open for discussion, which in return only left the option of either not talking at all or lying when the inevitable question about her life and past would arise -and it always did, at one point or another-, she simply didn't feel comfortable with the entire dating process, and she was better off without it.

"And your point is?" Mamoru asked, frowning lightly. "Here," he soon added before she could even answer him, offering her a piece of his mikasa, "have a taste and be a junkie like the rest of us."

"A junkie, huh?" she repeated, amused over the rather curious choice of words.

"Oh, yes," the Prince continued, nodding his head. "You walk in here being perfectly normal, and you walk out being an addict to Makoto's cooking."

"You know," the brunette's voice caught their attention and the two of them turned to look at her as she cleaned her hands with an apron, "I'm not sure if that qualifies as positive publicity."

"Well, Mako," the Prince said, raising his cup, "you never said anything about it having to be 'positive'," he joked before drinking form his coffee.

"Pff, men," the brunette snorted, shaking her head, though not fully able to shake the smile off her face as she turned to her. "So, what can I get you?"

"Coffee," she answered. "Large, please," she soon added, pointing at the displayed cardboard cups that indicated the different sizes.

"Coming right up!" Makoto singed, happily. "Would you like to get something else with that?" she asked, as she went around making her order, waving one hand around the counter's display rake.

"Maybe some other time, thank you," she declined. "I don't have much time," she said, glancing at her cellphone to check the time.

"Meeting someone?" Makoto asked, with such a warm smile dancing in her lips, teasing and kind of curious, that Zoe didn't find her inquiring particularly intruding.

"Yes, actually," she answered, checking on her phone once more. "I have to be at the park in twenty seven minutes."

"Who are you meeting with?" Mamoru asked, curious now.

"My neighbor," she answered. "Her dog, actually," she soon added, before either of them could get the wrong idea.

"Her dog?" the brunette asked, frowning and tilting her head to a side; her chestnut ponytail brushing her shoulder as she did so. "Why, what is so wrong with your neighbor that you rather meet with her dog?" she asked, unable to suppress the amused smile from coming to her face.

She chuckled at the joke despite herself, shaking her head. "I'm training him," she offered. "I volunteered at a shelter a couple of summers, so I've learned a thing or two."

"That's pretty cool," the Amazon said, smiling widely. "And so nice of you."

"Well, I _am_ getting paid this time," she pointed out, shrugging.

Not that she cared much about the money. Sure, it was an income, and she certainly appreciated that. But she had always loved animals of all kinds and sizes, and she had a particularly soft spot for dogs.

Completely by chance, she had run into one of her neighbors and her still a little too playful Labrador, and somehow the topic of her having worked with dogs and training them aroused. Before she knew it, she was accepting the offer to train her neighbor's pet; a bit of a challenge, she had to admit, for Labradors were usually playful, clumsy and a tad misbehaving -just being a puppy, really- for longer than any other breed.

"I meant the whole shelter thing," the brunette corrected herself. "That's nice," she stated, placing her freshly made coffee cup on the counter. "Here you go."

"Thanks," she said, opening her bag.

"It's on the house," she announced before Zoe could reach for her wallet and making her look up at the brunette, who was now smiling warmly and widely. "You get the friends' special discount," she soon added when the blonde just frowned.

She blinked, a bit surprise at the young woman's words. "Friends?" she repeated. "You just met me."

Makoto shrugged. "Yeah, but, you're part of the gang," she reasoned.

"But…"

"Don't even bother," Mamoru interrupted, shaking his head. "Kun's been trying to talk her into letting him pay his coffee for almost two years now," he said. "Just take the coffee."

Again, she blinked, turning to the brunette. "Discount is not the same as free."

"Let's not get technical," Makoto said, waving a hand around.

"You do realize you're running a business here, right?" she asked, arching an eyebrow. "Giving free coffee is bad for business."

"Au contraire," the brunette argued. "The special discount turns you into a faithful costumer. But only you get the discount, anyone else that comes in with you or by your recommendation would have to pay."

"She calls that 'free advertisement'," Mamoru put in, smiling as well.

"_Positive_ free advertisement," the brunette corrected, pointing a playfully accusing finger at him. "You're starting college after the summer, right?" she asked, smiling knowingly when Zoe just nodded her head. "And college students love coffee," she reasoned. "So, you get your coffee. And since you're such a faithful costumer and you love my coffee and everything in and about this shop, you recommend it to your classmates, and I get new costumers," she explained. "So, see? How is that bad for business?"

Two blonde eyebrows went up at the explanation. "You have it all figured it out, don't you?"

The brunette shrugged. "Nah," she said. "That's just the explanation I came up with to stop my thickheaded friends from trying to pay," she explained. "I've always cooked for my friends, and I never charged them. I'm not about to start now."

She chuckled, shaking her head and turning to her Prince. "There's no arguing with her, is it?"

"Not really, no."

She shrugged. Still feeling bad for not paying for her coffee, she accepted the cardboard cup and took a sip. And then closed her eyes in appreciation; this woman really knew how to make great coffee.

The singing of the bells announced another costumer, and she turned to the door, more out of curiosity than anything. But when her eyes landed on the petite woman that had just stepped in, deep blue eyes staring right into her green ones for a moment before averting away, she wished she hadn't.

Though Makoto seemed to be really nice and quite friendly, she knew better than to expect everyone to be like that. And she wasn't expecting them to be, either. Just like she wasn't expecting things to be smooth and easy with Mercury.

With her short blue hair held to a side with a small silver clip, the light yellow strapless summer dress complemented both her eyes and her fair skin. The wedge platform sandals added a good four inches to her stature, and if she was anything like the girl she remembered from the Silver Millennium at all, then Zoe guessed there was at least one book inside that large handbag of hers.

Taking her sunglasses off and placing them in their case and then inside her bag, the blue haired woman made her way up to them, avoiding eye contact with her and smiling up to her friend behind the counter instead.

"Hi," she said, smiling softly to the brunette. "Mamoru," she then greeted the Prince, slightly bowing her head before finally looking at her. "Zoe," she greeted. "Nice seeing you again."

It wasn't hard to read the truth in those blue eyes. The words were said merely out of politeness, and she winced inwardly as an awkward atmosphere fell all around, so thick and dense Zoe was sure she could cut it with a knife.

She wondered if it had been the same for the others. Obviously, Kunzite and Nephrite had worked out their problems with Venus and Jupiter respectively, but she wondered if it had been this awkward at first.

Or maybe it was just her. She felt bad enough about everything that had happened in the past; adding a barely lived romance was just throwing salt to the wound. Not that she was planning on jumping right where they left, but knowing her past self made promises and vows of love only for everything to go down to hell barely a few hours later didn't help to ease her conscience. Not that she had had a choice, but still; the entire thing just made her uncomfortable, and it seemed obvious Mercury felt the exact same way.

Or maybe Mizuno Ami just didn't trust her. And, well, she couldn't exactly blame the petite bluenette for that.

They hadn't exactly started with the right foot either, and Zoe was perfectly aware of that. And adding that to everything else just made things worse.

"Your usual?" Makoto asked as she had already started making whatever that was, probably just to break the silence.

Ami nodded, smiling to her friend and folding her hands in front of her. "I'm glad I ran into you," she said suddenly, still not really meeting her eyes but obviously addressing her as her face expression had the word business written all over. "I've been thinking about what you said the other day," she said, in a low tone as her blue eyes looked all over the shop.

It was fairly crowded, but no one seemed to be that interested in their conversation. Still, Zoe thought it wise not to say anything that might sound suspicious or just plain unusual.

"I've been doing some research to try to come up with a way to… study all the activity," she said, making an effort to sound as vague as possible so no one but them would know what she was talking about.

"Oh?" was all she was able to say, not really knowing what to answer to that, and a bit surprised she was even bringing the subject up at all.

"That's good, right?" Makoto said, tilting her head to a side and offering a half felt smile that answered to the awkward air that hung all around them now.

"Well, yes," the other continued, as a small frown came to her features. "It's an excellent idea and I admit I've never thought about it," she granted. "But I don't seem to be able to get all the needed information."

"Easy. You just need to look up all the universities with a well developed, important geology department," the blonde provided. "Atmospheric sciences, too. And maybe climatology," she suggested. "Also, you may want to make that search worldwide."

"You could work together," Mamoru proposed, giving a smile that felt more like a call for a truce than anything. "Two heads think better than one."

"I suppose we could," the bluenette said, slightly tilting her head to a side in a thoughtful manner as her frown deepened. "But how are we supposed to do that, when all the data is not available?" she asked as blue eyes met her green ones fully now.

Zoe nodded. "Of course it's not available. They invest millions of dollars into their researches," she reasoned.

One blue eyebrow went up at that. "And how exactly were you planning on getting that information?"

She shrugged, shoving her hands into her pockets. "I have my ways…" she mumbled in a low tone.

Mizuno blinked, and Zoe barely had time to wonder how long it would take for the blue haired woman to understand what she meant by that before she saw a clear shot of realization going through blue eyes. They went wide and opened and a small, silent 'o' formed in her lips before Mizuno blinked again; a frown forming in her features as she looked straight at her.

"You mean…" she trailed off, probably not sure she was getting it right. And when Zoe shook a shoulder, the woman's frown deepened. "No," she said, set and serious as she shook her head. "I'm not doing that."

"What?" Makoto asked, frowning in confusion. "Do what?"

With a gesture of his hand, Mamoru signaled for the brunette to keep quiet for a moment as his deep blue eyes stared straight at her. "Can you do that?" he asked.

"Yeah," she answered, nodding her head and trying not to sound too conceited about it.

"It doesn't matter if she can do it or not," the blue haired woman argued. "It's _illegal_!" she hissed, making an effort to keep her voice down.

"Ami…" the Prince tried to reason, but she cut him off shaking her head.

"No," she insisted. "We don't do that kind of things."

Taking a deep breath, she scratched the back of her neck, trying to come up with the right words. "Look, Mizuno…"

"Forget it," she interrupted before she could even explain herself. "It might be nothing to you, but not all of us are so easily inclined to take part in criminal activities."

That burned.

She probably had it coming, and she knew she deserved it. But knowing that didn't make it hurt any less. The woman was purposely throwing salt to the wound, and it sent whatever possibility of them being in good, civil terms right out the window.

If anything, it only served to prove her previous suspicions right; Mizuno didn't like her, and she certainly didn't trust her.

"Ami!" both Makoto and Mamoru exclaimed at the same time.

With a gesture of her hand, Zoe signaled to her Prince to silence. Getting mad at Mizuno would just not help, and again, she deserved it.

"Do you even know what she's talking about?" the blue haired woman continued, outraged now. "We don't do that! It's _wrong_!"

"Come on, Ames," the brunette tried to cope. "We've all done things…"

"It's different," Mizuno insisted, shaking her head. "And I'm not taking part in this."

"Hey, you asked," Zoe defended herself.

"Forgive me for thinking you may actually have something valuable and acceptable to offer," she retorted, not sparing an ounce of condescension and derision in her words. "Apparently, I was wrong in my assumptions."

She forced the ball of burning, wounded pride in the form of a not so nice reply to those words down to where it came from. She didn't appreciate the way the woman was talking to her, not her tone, and certainly not her words, but she knew better than to get on an argument with her right now.

She had her share of wrongs in the past, but she was not a child; she knew the difference between right and wrong, and she honestly didn't think her moral meter was that off that she needed a lecture on it. If Mizuno didn't like her methods, fine. But just because right now and unlike the blue haired woman, she was pulling the polite and politically correct card didn't mean she was going to stay there and let the woman talk her down like that.

"Whatever. If you don't want to do it, fine," she said, raising her hands up in the air. "I have to go now, anyway," she announced, taking her forgotten coffee cup. "Thanks again for the coffee," she said to the brunette.

With that, she turned on her heels, going straight to the door and stepping out of the shop.

She was barely able to take a few steps when a particular ringtone she had come to know during the past week made her stop. She didn't need to turn to know who was right behind her, or who was calling on his cellphone right now.

Still, she turned around, only to catch him turning his cellphone off to then place it back into his pocket. And she frowned at the rather unusual gesture, knowing he rarely ignored a call from the Moon Princess.

"I'm sorry about that," he began.

She let out a sigh, letting her eyes wander around for a moment. "It's alright," she finally said, meeting his eyes. "It's not like I didn't deserve that."

"You didn't," he argued. "What happened before… none of it was your fault."

"Mamoru…"

"You weren't yourself," he insisted. "It wasn't _you. _I know that, and so does Ami. Everyone knows that," he said. "Ami's just… she's taking this summer class and her professor's being kind of a douche," he tried to explain. "She's under pressure and…"

"And she doesn't like me," she added for him.

He winced. "I'm sure it's not that."

"It's alright," she interrupted, reaching a hand up to shut him up. "It's no big deal, really."

And it wasn't. She didn't particularly care if Mercury or any of the Senshi didn't like her. It was preferable if they got along, considering her Prince and their Princess were engaged; they were going to see each other on a regular basis for a very long time. But if they never become one big and merry group, being best friends and all, she didn't particularly care, just as long as they could at the very least, if not like, then be civil and tolerant around each other. Or, worst case scenario, avoid one another like the plague.

"I'll talk to her," Mamoru offered.

She nodded her head, not really seeing a need for the conversation to go on. "Let me know if she changes her mind," she said, if only out of respect to her liege; she honestly didn't think that was going to happen. "I really have to get going now."

"Yes, of course," he said, nodding his head. "I'll call you later."

"Yeah, ok," she agreed. "See ya."

He said his goodbyes, and when he took a step backwards, ready to walk back into the coffee shop, she nodded her head towards him in one last time in silent goodbye before turning around.

She honestly didn't think him talking to Mizuno would change anything. If the bluenette didn't trust her because of what happened seven years ago, because of the person she had met back then, then there was nothing Zoe could do about it except maybe showing to her she was nothing like that. Though, admittedly, that would take time, and right now the petite woman wasn't making it any easier.

But if it was because of what had happened in the Silver Millennium… well, in that case, then Zoe knew she was the one that should talk to the Senshi of Water and Wisdom. She just wasn't ready for it.

For one, she wasn't sure a talk between them wouldn't give the bluenette the wrong idea, making her think Zoe was interested in rekindling their short lived romance. Just like she wasn't the exact same Zoisite from the Silver Millennium, it was only to be expected for Mizuno to be different to the Mercury from that time; they looked exactly the same, but they were different people now, and they didn't even know each other this time around. And pursuing involvements of any kind and degree with perfect strangers was just not her thing.

And second, and just as important, that past was something she was not keen on remembering. There were things she didn't fully understand herself, and others she rather bury into the deepest corner of her mind, never to look back.

She shook her head, rearranging her crossbody bag and placing her sunglasses on, shielding her eyes from the heated sun. She cleared her mind, shutting her guilt and demons for the time being, set on not letting the past or anything related to it ruin her day. Right now, she had a dog to work with on a beautiful, bright sunny day, and she had every intention of enjoying it.


	19. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: all and any Sailor Moon character belongs to Naoko Takeuchi. I just own the idea for this story. So don't sue me, but please don't steal either!

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* * *

**18**

Wearing a yellow jacket and simple brown pants with matching leather boots, the girl made her way through the woods. There was a smile dancing in her lips she seemed unable to get rid off as she strolled down a path only she could see, for there was nothing but tall, thick trees and bushes all around.

With a dazed look upon her eyes, she traced her own lips in a slow, almost praising gesture, as if reminiscing something -a kiss, perhaps? But as she was just about to get back on her walk down a path only she knew off, a noise nearby got her attention.

There were voices in the distance.

With a set, wary frown taking place upon the young blonde's features, her entire posture changed from relaxed to ready and cautious as she set herself in motion, following the sounds. And when, finally, under the cover of the night and the trees, a group of men appeared in front of her -soldiers of some sort, judging by their uniforms-, the girl shook her head, letting out a sigh mixed with a low growl, as if this was something she was used to, though not particularly happy with.

"I assume neither of you are on duty tonight," the young blonde said, kicking an empty bottle to a side in a clearly disapproving, chastising manner.

"Lord Zoisite," one of the men said, jumping to his feet as the Shitennou approached them and vowing to his superior.

But there was something on his face. A sickening light to his eyes, a wicked smile tugging at the corner of his lips. And it was more than enough to send shivers down her spine; an alarm going off inside her head, alerting her of danger.

And as she wished she could warn the blonde somehow, desperately wanting, needing to get her away from the danger she instinctively knew these men represented, she found she couldn't hear what was being said anymore. The scene sped forward, as if on fast motion, and she was unable to do or say anything but watch as one of the men sneaked up behind the blonde, hitting her with a rock on the back of her head.

Blood poured out from the now opened wound, and the blonde fell to the ground and down on her knees, holding her bleeding head. One of the guards was fast to grab her, forcing her up to her feet again and locking his arms under hers, preventing her from moving at all as another one of the men entertained himself beating the Shitennou senseless. And just when there was no place left in the blonde's face that was clear of blood, and as her entire frame was shaking in pain after so many, repeated hits to her ribs and stomach, one of the guards took his sword out.

The image changed, turning into a sequence of flashes that only served to make her shiver as the terror pouring out of the blonde hit her. There was pain, shame, hurt, blood. Just so, so much blood as the flashing images showed her a bleeding, swollen young woman's face being forced into a small, muddy puddle; a trembling, bruised hand desperately trying to reach out to something, anything; broken lips parting to let out a scream that never came; a rude hand forcing the woman's face to the dirt, holding her still; a man's face breathing against the blonde's ear, erratically and guttural, as tears flooded green eyes and ragged, filled with pain and desperation gasps escaped the helpless woman.

And more blood, running down naked, trembling legs, past bruised thighs and knees and down to the ankles, where purple marks drew fingers over the once white skin, as the shaking form of a woman meandering around, following no path and with no destination appeared in front of her mind's eyes; pale, almost lifeless emeralds staring into nothing and limbs jolting on their own accord as the beaten figure got lost into the woods, into the night.

Into the darkness…

"Rei!"

She blinked several times, trying to clear her suddenly blurred vision. And when the image of a worried looking Yuichiro right in front of her and holding her -and shaking her- by her arms finally registered in her mind, she frowned.

She found herself back in the Sacred Fire room, in the exact same position she had been just a few moments ago, when she had first started her meditation. The room looked exactly the same -minus Yuichiro's presence-, the Fire was peaceful, and she was still kneeling in front of it.

"Goddamnit, Rei!" Yuichiro exclaimed. "Are you alright?"

Normally, she would lecture him for using such language in the Sacred Room. But he seemed to be spooked enough. He was kneeling right in front of her, hands still on her arms, and looking very concerned; he could live without the lecture, and she was in no state of mind of giving him one, anyway.

_What the hell?_

She blinked, shaking her head. "Yes, yes," she was finally able to mumble. "I'm fine."

Yuichiro let go of her, putting a small distance between them and staring at her. "You were practically screaming," he said, as his concerned frown deepened. "You're lucky your grandfather didn't hear you. What happened?" he asked. "What did you see that made you scream like that?"

"I…"

The flashing images were still dancing in front of her mind's eyes, and she shivered.

It was the same. Ever since she did that lecture on the youngest of the Shitennou, she would see the exact same flashing images whenever she tried to meditate in front of the fire.

"I don't know," she finally said, frowning herself.

"Something's bothering you," Yuichiro pointed out. "What is it? You know you can trust me," he said, in that soft, understanding, coping tone that led Rei to think, not for the first time, that he knew about her Senshi identity.

She had long ago realized he was nowhere near as stupid as he pretended to be. Quite the opposite, actually. And he had been around her for long enough, and did have his moments of pure clarity; him already knowing wasn't such a wild idea. And yes, she did trust him. She could talk to him about anything. But she had never been able to find it in herself to trust him with this one secret.

In any case, he wasn't asking if she was Sailor Mars or not; he wanted to know what had her vision showed her. He was probably wondering if there was some evil approaching. Again, he had been around for long enough, and everyone who read the news knew about the evil, strange forces the Senshi's had faced over the years.

"It's nothing," she said, shaking her head and moving to stand up.

As expected, he didn't buy it. He stood up right after her, arching a questioning eyebrow her way.

"I'm fine," she insisted, not willing to talk about it.

She wasn't even sure of what 'it' was.

Nothing but a flash of images that scared her out of her mind, that was for sure. She couldn't quite place the pieces of the puzzle together, and she was starting to think that was something she really, seriously didn't want to do. But, damn it, she needed to.

She used to think she knew everything she needed to know about the falling of the Silver Millennium. Beryl sold her soul to Metallia and made empty promises to the Shitennou; the fell and sold their souls to the evil queen, betraying everything and everyone. As simple as that. But now… now she wasn't so sure.

What had happened? What could have been so terrible and unthinkable that led Kunzite to fall right into Beryl's arms, making the others follow right behind him? What unknown event had put Jadeite into such torment, into all that pain and agony she had felt through their bond right before he finally gave in and fell under Beryl's spell as well?

The image of green, lost eyes and a bruised, swelled up face came to her mind, and she shuddered. It seemed obvious to her now that the Shitennou's demise had been a direct consequence of whatever had really happened that night, in those woods. What had happened to Zoisite? What did those men do to her?

She didn't want to know. She didn't want to think about it anymore. Damn it, she didn't want to keep on seeing those horrible flashes!

But the question remained, latent and always present in that deep, dark corner of her mind she shoved it into; what exactly happened right before the falling of the Silver Millenium?

.-.

"_I'm sorry I couldn't answer your call,_" Mamoru apologized.

"It's ok," she said into the phone. "Is everything alright?" she then asked, wondering what could have been so important that he couldn't answer.

"_Yes, yes,_" he assured her, even though she could hear the lie through the line. "_I was just talking to Zoe, that's all,_" he said. "_So how's that shopping flee going?_" he asked, completely changing the subject. "_Is my credit card still working?_" he joked.

Baby blue eyes narrowed dangerously at that, even if he wasn't able to see her right now. "Ha-ha, very funny," she said, with a complete lack of humor to her words. "Actually, we just ran into Haruka and Michiru and were about to go for a snack," she said. "Now I'm thinking I might invite them for caviar and champagne."

"_As if Haruka would ever let you pay for anything,_" he pointed out, easily.

_Damn_, she cursed mentally, having momentarily forgotten about her friend's chivalrous tendencies. Though she had to admit it was rather funny, in a curious kind of way, how he was not joking about it now when he had been threatened by it when they first met Haruka. Just like she had been more than a little jealous of Michiru, of how easily she could find about any subject to talk about with Mamoru. Of course her jealousy had been fed by the violinist's beauty and grace and her own personal insecurities.

But that was years ago. Their relationship had been through so many trials and tests much more difficult and complicated than their own insecurities and jealousy, they had grown that much stronger over the years. And then of course Mamoru had learned to take Haruka's playful, flirting attitude for what it was, and she had learned to trust both herself and her fiancé, knowing better than to feel threatened because someone as beautiful and cultured as Michiru would establish a good, completely chaste and friendly based relationship with him.

"Fine," she said, rolling her eyes. "Then I'll just have to find another way to make you pay for that comment," she stated, smiling when the sound of his laughter reached her through the other side of the line. "You sure everything's alright?" she asked, giving the subject one last try.

"_Yes, of course. Everything's perfectly fine, don't worry._"

His words and the way he said that were enough to worry her. The fact that she could picture him blinking repeatedly, like he always did when he was trying to cover something up, didn't help either. Not that he did that often; he was most certainly not the lying kind, but rather quite honest and straightforward. But she had seen him doing exactly that over the years enough times to recognize the unconscious tick and the tone of voice he used on those occasions. But even though she knew he was lying right now, she guessed that, whatever it was, it was something he didn't want to talk over the phone.

"Alright, then," she said, deciding to let it rest for now, but making a mental note to bring the subject up later. "Say hi to Zoe for me."

"_I will. Have fun. I'll see you tonight._"

"I will. Love you."

"_I love you too._"

She hung up, putting her cell back into her purse and walking up to the table her friends were already sitting at on the food court. Leaving her shopping bags on the floor, she sat down on the remaining empty chair, letting out a sigh.

"Is everything alright?" Michiru asked as she handed her the strawberry smoothie she had previously requested before taking Mamoru's call.

"Yup," she answered, mindlessly playing with the straw, stirring her smoothie with it for a moment before taking a sip. "He was with Zoe, that's why he couldn't answer me before."

"Did something happen?" Minako asked, frowning.

"Oh, no, no," she was fast to say, shaking her head. "Everything's perfectly alright."

"But something's bothering you," Haruka pointed out.

"No, no," she said, shaking her head again and forcing a smile on her face. "I'm fine."

Three eyebrows arched up at that, questioningly, and for a moment, she hated the way her friends were able to read right through her so easily. And she also hated the fact that she was so bad at lying…

"Koneko…"

She let out a sigh, letting her eyes wander around for a moment. The truth was, though the small conversation with Mamoru just now was still in her head and she definitively wanted to know what was it that he was not telling her, that was not what was bothering her. There was something else that had been bothering her for the last couple of days, and she honestly didn't know how to bring it up and talk about it without sounding childish.

"It's just that… it's weird, you know?" she began, trying to find the way to explain herself. "I mean, I think it's great that Mamoru gets to have his own time with his friends and all, doing… whatever it is guys do," she said, waving her hand around.

"But it's not just guys anymore, is it?" Michiru guessed, slightly tilting her head to a side in an understanding tone.

She chewed on the inside of her cheek. True, her confidence had increased over the years, and she no longer felt threatened or jealous of every single woman near Mamoru. She now understood he had a life of his own, just like she did, and it was only normal for him to establish relationships with female co-workers and the like. But she wasn't used to him being that close to any of them, let alone spend so much of his free time with them.

Sure, this particular woman wasn't just any woman; it was Zoisite. And Mamoru had said himself he saw her and cared for her as a little sister. But that didn't change the fact that, unlike the rest of the Shitennou, she was a woman. One that was very close and very dear to her fiancé, at that.

"Come on, Usagi," Minako tried to cope. "She's practically one of the guys."

"I know, I know," she granted, letting out a sigh and nodding her head. "But… is it so terribly wrong of me to be kind of jealous of him spending so much time with her?"

"No," Haruka granted, giving her one of her sided, and slightly sympathetic though kind of amused grins of hers. "But if it makes you feel any better, there's no way she would ever be interested in Mamoru," she offered. "Or any of them, for that matter."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," she said, shaking her shoulders. "They're just really close friends, I know. But still…"

Green eyes blinked at her then, before a frown came to the tall blonde's features. "You do know she's gay, right?"

It was her turn to blink now, repeatedly and surprised. "She is?"

"Oh, yes," Michiru put in, nodding her head and giving a small, knowing smile right before taking a sip from her tea.

Again, she blinked, and a frown came to her face. "Really?"

Haruka nodded. "Definitely."

"Really?" she asked again, highly curious now. "How do you know?"

"It's a gay thing," Minako offered, answering for both their friends. "Ever heard of the gaydar?" she then asked. "They can smell each other."

Michiru giggled softly then, and Haruka just blinked. "I wouldn't say it like _that_," she mumbled, scratching the back of her neck.

"And how did _you_ pick up on it?" Usagi asked, arching a questioning eyebrow towards the blue eyed blonde.

Minako just waved her hand around. "She has the word lesbian written all over her," she stated, as if it was the most obvious thing -which, Usagi was sure, it wasn't. "Besides, you remember that whole romance history with Ami, right?"

"There's a history with Ami?" Michiru asked, surprised.

The violinist exchanged a curious, kind of confused look with Haruka. Neither of them knew much about the Silver Millennium and their particular, personal stories, aside from the very basics about what had happened, and they were only now finding out about Mercury's little affair with one particular blonde Shitennou.

"Ami?" Haruka asked, making sure. "Blue hair, blue eyes, kinda short? That Ami?"

"Is there another one?" Minako retorted.

The tall blonde shrugged, turning to her partner. "Guess that explains how she knew about Zoisite," she mumbled.

"Oh, nothing actually happened," the Senshi of Love corrected her. "But there was definitively something going on. You know, some flirting and courting and all that," she offered. "And they were obviously pretty serious about it if Zoe told Ami the truth."

"But that was then, and this is now," she pointed out, shaking her head. "How do you know she still is… you know…"

"A lesbian," Haruka put in for her.

"Lucky guess," Minako answered. "And they saw it, too, so I'm right," she reasoned.

"So does that mean Ami's gay, too?" she asked, confused now.

Minako shrugged, exchanging looks with her, before they both turned to Haruka and Michiru for confirmation.

"I don't think so…" the racer ventured, looking at her partner for support. "I mean, it's not always black or white…"

"That's not important," Michiru put in. "The point is, you have no reason to worry about Mamoru spending so much time with Zoe," she said, taking the conversation back to its original track once more. "They're old friends that just got to see each other again after many years, and it's only natural for them to want to spend some time together," she reasoned. "But you need to remember that Mamoru loves you, and he would never do anything to hurt you."

She let out a sigh, nodding her head.

They were right. They were absolutely right. Even without Zoe's sexual orientation being a part of the equation, she knew Mamoru loved her. If even death had been unable to destroy their love, then surely, a female constant presence in his private circle of friends wouldn't change that.

And, really, Mamoru seemed really happy to finally have all four Shitennou with him. So what if one of them happened to be a girl?

Shaking her head, she put a wide smile on her face, deciding to follow their advice and not worrying about it, and with all the intention of changing the subject.

"So, what's new with you guys?"

.-.

Ami was not the kind of person who did things without thinking or on impulse, and she rarely ever regretted her actions. But the look Mamoru sent her way right, so filled with disappointment right before he walked out after Zoe, was enough to make her regret her words.

Makoto, on the other hand, only mumbled a low 'that was harsh' to then promptly wiped out any trace of disappointment or disapproval off her face. Apron in hand and smile in place, the Amazon refrained herself from voicing her opinion on the matter. This, strangely enough, only served to make Ami feel even worse about the whole thing.

She left the place shortly after. Although neither Makoto nor Mamoru, once he walked back in, mentioned anything about it, she was smart enough to pick on the unvoiced disappointment towards her. It made her regret her words, and it also made her incredibly uncomfortable.

So, she left. She had things to do, anyway. And although she went on with her daily life as usual, going to campus, first to the library to do some reading and then off to her summer class, that whole Zoe issue seemed to have taken permanent residence in her thoughts. It was so incredibly distracting and unnerving!

To top it off, her professor had decided once again to make her miserable. He purposely ignored her every attempt to answer his questions, he shut her off and interrupted her midsentence whenever he actually let her speak, and he took up every opportunity to belittle her.

Ami couldn't stand him.

The man's oversized ego was enough to make anyone within a thirty feet radius from him to choke with it, and he was a conceited, stubborn, rude man. A man who obviously didn't appreciate students already knowing what he was supposed to be teaching them. It wasn't her fault that because of her duty and responsibilities as a Senshi she already knew everything there was to know about first aids; she was only taking that class for the extra credits that, along with her excellent grades, put her on the top of the list and would eventually let her chose which hospital to go to start her residence.

By the time she finally made it back to the apartment she shared with the other two, she was exhausted. And still, that incident with the youngest of the Shitennou earlier that day was bothering her.

It wasn't as if she did it on purpose. She understood the blonde was only trying to help. Just like she understood she deserved a chance, same as the other three. A chance to prove she was not the same Zoisite they met seven years ago. Of course, she had no idea what Zoe Calhoun was really like, but rationally, she knew that girl they all met before was just not her. If anything, the fact that Mamoru trusted her was proof enough of that. Though the past might have tipped the scales in her favor, Ami doubted he would make such a huge mistake in judging his own protectors; the link they shared would have warned him if there was even the smallest amount of evil within her, supernatural or not.

But she couldn't help it; she couldn't find it in herself to trust the woman. As if old, half remembered memories making Zoe's presence uncomfortable for her weren't enough, something deep within her stopped her, and Ami couldn't fight it. She couldn't even name it; she wasn't sure of what it was that sent such a warning alarm all through her being. There was just something…

She didn't approve of Zoe's method, and she didn't trust her. But she could have spoken her mind in a different, less accusing way. Admittedly, she could have been less bluntly rude.

Letting out a frustrated sigh and deciding to skip dinner altogether, Ami crawled her way into her bed. She was tired of all the thinking -voluntary and involuntary-, and going over everything over and over again wasn't going to help much; she could apologize to the blonde for being so rude the next time she saw her. Right now, all she cared for was the peaceful promise of dreamland.

Curling under the sheets, she closed her eyes and welcomed sleep. Too tired and already half asleep, she failed to noticed what jumped into her mind's eyes right before she fell asleep; soft green eyes and a small, loving smile.

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Any thoughts?


	20. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: all and any Sailor Moon character belongs to Naoko Takeuchi. I just own the idea for this story. So don't sue me, but please don't steal either!

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**19**

"I was a fool to think I could deceive you."

She titled her head to a side. Her cheek fitting perfectly into the hand softly held against her face, so warm, so loving. So perfect.

"To your favor, I'll admit it took me some time to figure it out," she granted, unable to fight the small, fascinated smile decorating her features as she looked into those green eyes that made her knees go weak and her heart beat faster.

Reaching up her own hand, she cupped the Shitennou's cheeks. With shy movements, she traced the soft, defined features with the tip of her fingers, loving how wonderful it felt to be this close, this intimate with the blonde.

"You're so beautiful."

The words, though completely truthful, just escaped her, and she saw the usually oh so charming, confident Shitennou blushing right before her eyes.

Granted, Zoisite wasn't being particularly confident tonight; though still charming, the blonde was being that much more shy than usual. And as jittery fingers traced her own lips in returned caress, it occurred to her only now, despite her usual charming attitude, Zoisite had never been this close to a woman before. She could see it in her eyes, in the uncertainty dancing in those green orbs and in her slow, mousy movements.

And that alone, that one realization made her feel so incredibly happy. It made her love the blonde that much more, knowing she, simple little Mercury, was the one this mighty warrior from Earth had chosen.

"I love you, Mercury," the blonde whispered, softly and truthfully.

Her lips were only a breath away as Zoisite leaned in closer, cupping her reddened cheeks with both hands. The gentle heat from her fingers, leather gloves having been discarded, engulfed Mercury, and she felt as if she could explode from pure happiness right then and there.

No magnificent, shout out loud declaration. Just three small, simple little words, softly whispered. No titles, except…

"Amilia," she offered, in a hushed though loving whisper, trusting the woman before her with her most sacred secret. "My name is Amilia."

No one, not even her fellow Senshi or the Princess knew. Aside from her own mother, no one but the Moon Queen knew. And now, so did Zoisite.

She wanted to hear it. Oh, she so wanted to hear her name coming out of those lips, if only just once!

"Amilia," the blonde repeated, softly, almost reverently, granting her silent wish.

She giggled.

She couldn't help herself. Feeling like a silly girl, she giggled softly at the way she just said her name.

"I'm Sage," the Shitennou offered. And then she frowned. "Or at least, that's what the old smith used to call me," she soon added, shrinking her shoulders. "I don't know…"

Placing her fingers over the blonde's lips, she gently but surely made her stop with the explanation; she already knew.

"Sage," she voiced, testing the name in her lips. "I like it," she finally announced, smiling softly up to the blonde. "I love you, Sage."

"I love you too, Amilia," the other whispered back, as she leaned in even closer, nuzzling their noses together.

They were standing so close now, she felt like she could drown forever in the depths of those sweet, gentle emeralds. And when, finally, soft lips touched her own, barely, in more of a caress than an actual kiss, Mercury could have sworn she saw a billion little lights of pure, blinding happiness exploding right in front of her closed eyes.

Her heart skipped a beat, her knees went weak, and she was sure her chest was just about to explode. But she didn't care.

Getting on her tiptoes, in a sudden burst of boldness she didn't know nor care where it was coming from, she threw her arms around the blonde's neck. Both welcoming the arms that encircled themselves around her waist, and grateful for them, for she was sure she was unable to stand by her own means right now, she returned the kiss with all the love bottled up and kept inside her for so long now.

Under the ever blue hue of the Earth, with the fireworks taking over the night sky, for the very first time, they kissed.

.-.

The sound of the doorbell forced her out of dreamland rather abruptly. And although it was Saturday, and that alone gave her the right to stay in bed for as long as she wanted to, she welcomed the distraction with opened arms.

What used to be an every now and then episode had become an almost every night occurrence, and it was starting to get extremely frustrating and annoying. As if it wasn't enough with the blonde invading her life and thoughts already, filling her with guilt over a stupid little argument and overall discomfort with her presence, now she had to see said blonde in her dreams every night, remembering things she didn't want to remember.

Kicking the sheets out of the way, she got off the bed. Remembering only at the last minute to throw on a robe before going to open the door, she arranged her hair with her hands as best she could before finally finding out who was yet again buzzing on her doorway.

But as she opened the door and looked up and into deep blue eyes, she wished she hadn't.

If she wanted to forget all about the blonde Shitennou even being around, him being here wasn't going to help on that matter. And although she always welcomed him and certainly appreciated his friendship and company, she was sure he was not here to chit-chat.

"Good morning, Mamoru," she greeted him, offering him a smile despite the fact she knew, what was coming next was not a conversation she was going to enjoy.

"Sorry I woke you up," he apologized, nodding his head in greeting as she opened the door further for him to step in.

"It's alright, I was just lazing around," she lied, if only to his benefit. "Coffee?" she offered, as she made her way into the kitchen and to the already made coffee waiting for her there.

Once again, she silently thanked Makoto's thoughtfulness as she poured herself a cup, taking a second one and offering to him, already knowing he was not one to ever say no to coffee.

"I wanted to talk to you," he started, going straight to business. "About yesterday," the Prince soon added.

Because, right now, he was not Usagi's fiancé and Ami's friend; regardless of his casual black slacks and matching shirt, the man talking to her right now was Prince Endymion.

She frowned, tilting her head to a side and chewing on the inside of her cheek. "I'm really sorry about that," she said, shrinking her shoulders. "I didn't mean to sound…"

"Look, Ami," he interrupted, gently raising a hand to silence her. "I know this is hard for you, considering your… history… with Zoisite."

She blushed. "That has nothing…"

"I understand," he said, interrupting her once more. "And I'm not asking you to welcome her with open arms. I won't ask you to be friends with her, or even to work with her on this tracking system idea," he stated. "Although I do believe it's a really good idea."

"It is," she agreed. "But there has to be another way to…"

"I know," the Prince interrupted her yet again. "And if there really is another way, then I know you are the one to find it," he said. "But I won't ask you to if you're uncomfortable in any way."

She nodded her head, appreciating the Prince's words.

"But I will ask you to at least respect me," he stated, in a tone that, although still held its natural gentleness to it, it clearly stated he was not really asking.

Blue eyes went wide opened at that. "I do!" she was fast to exclaimed. "You know I do!"

"It was my decision to accept her in, and I expect you to respect that."

"I know that, and I respect it," she tried to explain herself. "Mamoru, I…"

"She's a good person, and she deserves a chance," he stated. "I thought you, of all people, would understand that."

"I do!" she exclaimed.

She did. Rationally, she did. It was the less rational, assaulted with memories from the past part of her that didn't feel as cooperative…

"Then why were you so hard on her?" he wanted to know. "It's so unlike you, to hold a grudge like this…"

"It's not about holding a grudge," she defended herself, as she searched her mind trying to come up with the right words to explain herself.

"Then what is it?"

None came to mind. She couldn't find a more amiable way to say it, and with him pushing the matter, the words just left her mouth. "I don't trust her."

"Why?" he wanted to know.

"She's a liar!"

Her outburst surprised them both, and she blinked. Where did that come from? How was that relevant to the current situation?

She gulped, trying to calm her nerves. "I trusted her, and she lied to me," she said, calmer now. "I… I l-loved her," she stumbled upon her own words, gulping. "There she was, talking about bringing peace between Earth and the Moon and how much she cared about me, and not two hours later, she goes ahead and betrays us all!"

The look on Mamoru's eyes was soft. Understanding. And I bothered her beyond words. "Ami…"

"I felt it," she stated, again, surprising herself with her own words. Where it was all coming from? When did she remember all these? Why now?

It surprised her how easily it came to her now. Suddenly, it was perfectly clear; she knew all the reasons why she didn't trust Zoe. She remembered, with such clarity, it didn't feel like a lifetime ago; it felt as if it was just yesterday.

"I felt it when she fell," she said again. "She didn't even put up a fight, she just… let her in…. I mean…" she trailed off, confused, assaulted by memories and emotions and fears from long ago.

Mamoru's gaze softened then, as an understanding, kind of hurtful frown fell upon his features. "You bonded with her?" he asked. "I didn't know…"

She frowned too.

Did she? She didn't remember ever voicing the words that would create a bond, but she could now clearly remember what if felt like, when the other end of the bond where Zoisite's presence was supposed to be became empty. She remembered being so worried, trying to come up with a way to go down to Earth to search for the Shitennou, to find out what was wrong. But with the after party mess that needed to be taken care of, words of riots rising on Earth, and the entire court demanding her services and advice for the most unimportant of matters and making her miserable and uncharacteristically irritable, finding the moment to sneak out had been impossible.

She remembered being worried and confused and hurt, not knowing what it meant. That was, until Kunzite and Nephrite fell too.

They must have been together at that time, because she remembered both Venus and Jupiter grieving for their lovers and their broken bonds at almost the exact same time.

And then everything happened too fast.

Prince Endymion came to the Moon and begged the Queen for assistance, for help; he begged her to leave the Palace, to escape, to save herself, the Princess and her people. And as the members of the Court refused to listen to the earthen Prince, Mars felt Jadeite's falling. And then…

Then nothing. Everything and everyone died. She remembered that part perfectly well.

So that meant she must have. Somehow, on that garden, with the two of them kneeling next to one another, in between kisses and words of love that soon proved to have little to no meaning, they must have created some sort of magical bond between them.

"That's not important now," she said, shaking her head. "Everything went down to hell because of her, because _she_ gave in and sealed our doom," she stated. "So forgive me for having difficulties trusting someone who wasn't able to stay true to her own words for longer than a few hours."

The look that fell upon the Prince's face was sad. Hurtful. Regretful?

"That's not what happened."

"I remember, Mamoru," she argued. "Do _you_ remember?" she asked, incredulous. "Or have you forgotten everything she's done?"

"No, I haven't," he answered. "But you know as well as I do, that wasn't her," he pointed out. "She was reduced to nothing but a puppet."

"That doesn't change the fact…"

"She never betrayed me, Ami," Mamoru insisted.

"I felt it…"

"You felt her slipping away," he argued back, though there was a strange calm to his tone, filled with remorse and pain. "But that wasn't Beryl's doing," he stated, firmly. "At least not directly. She just… saw an opportunity, and took it."

There was something in his eyes, in his voice. Something in the way he just said that that sent shivers down her spine.

She frowned. "What do you mean?" she wanted to know. "What happened?"

The Prince's blue orbs wandered off for a moment. "I can't tell you that," he finally said after a moment of silence. "But I can tell you this; she never betrayed me," he insisted. "Do you really think I'd accept her in, or any of them for that matter, if I thought even for a second they were capable of something like that?"

"Isn't that what you did?"

"How can it be betrayal if it was never a matter of choice?" he asked back. He shrunk his shoulders then, tilting his head to a side. "They didn't betray me, Ami. If anything, I was the one betraying them."

Her frowned deepened at that, now completely lost. "What?"

"I left them alone," Mamoru said, with nothing but remorse filling his every word. "I went to warn Queen Serenity, afraid of what could happen…" he closed his eyes at that, taking a deep breath as if to try to calm some inner monster of his own before he opened his eyes again, looking straight at her. "I left when they needed me the most, when I should've stayed with them. I failed them."

She blinked, trying to make some sense out of everything the Prince was trying to tell her. But she couldn't; everything she thought she knew about the falling of the Silver Millennium seemed to be a lie, and she didn't know what to believe anymore. She didn't even know what the truth was!

"I… I don't understand…"

"Talk to her," he said, in more of a request than an actual proposal. "There are things that only she can tell you about, questions only she can answer," he tried to explain, even though he wasn't making much sense to Ami at all.

Again, she blinked, confused out of her mind now. Yes, she had expected him to defend Zoe. What she hadn't expected him saying he had been the one betraying them. How was that even possible?

Taking a deep breath, he took the steps separating them. Placing both his hands on her shoulders, she was forced to tilt her head up just to look him in the eye.

"Think about it, ok?" he asked.

She nodded, rather dumbly.

"If you don't trust her, that's fine," he said, offering her one of his soft, gentle smiles. "But you should at least listen to her side of the story."

.-.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice," she said as she gestured for the blonde to step in.

He nodded in greeting. "It's alright," he said, shaking his shoulder. "I was in the area."

That was a lie, and she knew it.

Instinctively, she knew it, but still, she appreciated the gesture. It did its purpose well; it did make her feel less guilty for bringing him there at such an early hour, away from whatever it was he was supposed to be doing for the day.

She just needed to talk to someone. And she would more than gladly do so with someone else, anyone else, if it weren't for the fact that he was the only one who would answer her. But that knowledge didn't bring her any comfort.

She was everything but comfortable.

She was uncomfortable with her visions, with him being in that room with her, and with the conversation they were just about to have. And judging by his posture and demeanor, he wasn't any comfortable either; hands deep in his pockets and standing in the middle of the room, as if he didn't know what to do or where to seat, or even if he was supposed to, the usually confident, proud blonde man didn't looked as such right now.

But she needed to know.

"Judging by your tone, it seemed important," he stated, turning on his heels and facing her.

She nodded, signaling for him to sit down and make himself comfortable. This was going to be a long talk…

"So," he began, taking one of the cushions by the low table and sitting down. "What is it that you wanted to talk about?"

His back was straight and his face slightly bent down, letting her know he had readied himself to talk about whatever she wanted to talk about, but he was also on guard. His defenses were up, and Rei knew, without even bothering to try to read his aura, he had readied himself for an entire different conversation.

One she was not planning on having.

"I called you because I… I keep seeing things," she began, closing her eyes as she tried to fight the images she could still see with her mind's eyes. "I keep having this… visions… and I don't know what they mean."

It took him exactly a quarter of a second to understand what she was talking about.

His entire posture changed. His shoulders fell, his face softened, and a sad, knowing look came upon his blue eyes. "Yes, you do," he disagreed, slightly tilting his head to a side. "You saw, didn't you?"

"I… I don't know _what_ I saw," she argued, shaking her head.

She didn't. When she first read Zoe, looking into her mind and memories, the flashing images hadn't made any sense, and she had been honestly lost as to what they showed her. Some sort of fight, that was for sure.

But then… she shook her head, trying to clear her mind off those terrible images.

She knew better than to make assumptions. And if it meant what she thought it meant, then what did that had anything to do with everything else? Why did she keep on seeing that? And, God, she didn't want to keep on seeing that…

"I mean, I see Zoisite, and these guards…" she tried to explain. "And there's something in their eyes…"

"You caught that too, huh?" he asked, frowning lightly. "I wasn't sure. I mean, seeing through someone else's memory can be tricky."

Selected memory, the light and mind playing tricks, personal perspectives, feelings and the subconscious changing what one's eyes originally saw. Yes, she knew all that. But she doubted this was a case of conflicted memory.

"Do you think they were…"

"I don't know," he answered even without her needing to finish the question. "Maybe?" he ventured, shrinking his shoulders. "We knew about the riots and the uprisings and the rumors, but… I don't know," he finally let out with a sigh. "Maybe. Or maybe they were just… a bunch of really pissed off bastards."

There wasn't hatred in his voice, although she was sure he was feeling it. Or at least he must have, back then. But right now, there was nothing but surrender, pain and regret to his words, as if he had given up trying to figure out the why's and how's of everything. As if he had realized, probably the same way he had back then, there was nothing he could do about it; nothing could undo the past.

The image of a blonde young woman being thrown into the dirt came to her mind. Four men were holding her arms and legs still as another one held her face up, forcing a bottle into her mouth and the liquor down her throat. With the broken nose making it hard for her to breathe, the bottle and the alcohol drowning her, the scream died in the woman's throat as one of the men position himself on top of her.

She shivered, letting out a shuddering breath. "Jei, what… what happened?" she asked, afraid she already knew the answer. "What did those men do to her?"

The way he looked at her then, devastated, impotent, ashamed… defeated…

It was a look of regret and despair, and it tore her as much as it moved her.

"They broke her."

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**A.N.: **Sage is a unisex name that can mean either aromatic herb, or wise. I tried to come up with a foreign-sounding, unisex name that would fit/describe Zoi better, but I couldn't find any of my liking, so… Sage it is. It's not that relevant, anyway.

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About the gaydar: actually, yes, in some cases, it really is that easy to tell if someone's gay or not. I talked about it on several occasions with a bunch of friends about the so-called gaydar (all lesbians, btw), and we all agreed that, with some people, there's just something that gives them off. It can be their clothes, the way they move or talk. A friend even said she knows because of the 'lesbian shoulders' (if you're asking what that is, don't worry, so am I), and another one said that when she sees a girl smoking, she can tell whether she's gay or not by the way she holds the cigarette. And sometimes, there's just something we can't quite point out that just screams gay. But, again, it's not always the case and it's not the case to all and any gay out there. Out of my group of friends, with two you can tell they're lesbians a mile away (and no, they're not the typical butch, and one has a thing for cleavages and gets on 100% overall girly mode when it come to her hair), another one has her moments, and then another one, unless she tell you, you wouldn't guess she's gay even in a million years.  
My point is: not always the case, but sometimes, it really is that simple and it only takes one look to know. And yes, heterosexual people usually miss all the little hints (clothes, hair, the way they move or talk, the 'shoulders' (?), specially that 'I don't know what'), unless of course we're talking about someone who falls into every stereotype out there. I mean, come on, if you're straight and you see a Jack, and you don't figure out he's gay, then there's something wrong with you. No offense to all the Jacks out there; Jacks are great. I like Jacks! Just Jack!

And about Zoisite getting beaten up. More about that will be coming up, but! It's my belief, and seriously, this really is just my stand on the matter, that although the Shitennou are stronger than average, they're just not as strong and/or powerful as the Senshi. They are only humans, after all. And if even the Senshi got beaten up a few times by their enemies, then yes, I do believe the Shitennou can be forced to eat dirt if outnumbered (either by the actual number of their enemies/opponents, or because of their opponents' strength).

Phew! That turned out to be a long A.N.! Just wanted to clear that out and make my case.

Don't know when I'll be updating again; currently working a few projects plus my very own website, which you may want to check out , though it's still a work-in-progress (shamelessly advertising, here! it's florlola dot com dot ar), plus life as a grown up and everything that alone includes... but I'll try to cook next chap as soon as possible! In the meantime, and as usual, reviews are very appreciated!


	21. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer:** all and any Sailor Moon character belongs to Naoko Takeuchi. I just own the idea for this story. So don't sue me, but please don't steal either!

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**20**

The man kept on talking, and the brunette switched in his seat.

He didn't want the Count to realize he was not really focused in the ongoing conversation. He knew Count Brayan of the Easterner lands was a rather tempered man, and he was already angered enough with the growing number of rebels going against members of the court. The riots were starting to be a frequent occurrence, and Nephrite knew better than to ignore all these.

But he just couldn't help it. Something was bothering him, and he couldn't find it in himself to concentrate in what the Count was saying.

From the corner of his eye, he saw long, tanned fingers pivoting against the armrest, and that alone put him on edge. He did have a tendency of getting a bit carried away, sometimes giving too much meaning to the smallest of things. And he knew better than to think his commanding officer was unable to hide his growing impatience to the babbling Count; Kunzite was the master of masks, and if he was bothered by this sudden void that had just stroked them, then surely, it was not just Nephrite's imagination and over thinking.

The second the Count stood up, ready to exchange handshakes and a few more words, he said his goodbyes as fast as politeness let him and excused himself, stepping out of the mansion and into the front yard. Blue eyes glued themselves to the night sky immediately, and a deep, concerned frown came to his handsome features. But before he could even begin to try to understand what the stars were trying to tell him, what the message was, Kunzite came to stand beside him.

"What are they telling you?"

His frowned deepened. "I'm... not sure..." he answered, in all honesty. "Something's not right... Zoisite..."

For the first time since he had known him, he saw true concern crossing the tanned man's face right before he fought it off, frowning instead. "We must go back," he said. "Now."

.-.

Rearranging her bag over her shoulder, she rubbed her hands against the skirt of her pale pink layered summer dress, staring at the number on the door.

She really didn't think this through. Not at all. What if she was busy? What if she had company, or wasn't even home at all? What if she didn't want to talk to her?

She frowned at the last one. Considering her own rudeness the day before, that was a very real possibility. Maybe she was offended or hurt. Or just insulted. And she couldn't really blame her for that.

She had left the flat wanting to get out and clear her mind. After Mamoru left, leaving her more confused than she had originally been, and after pacing around the flat doing nothing at all but over thinking things she was sure she didn't fully understood or knew, she finally grew tire of being there. It was a beautiful, sunny day, and going out for a walk and a read, or maybe both, sounded like the perfect getaway to her current state of mind.

Originally, she had wanted to go to the park to read. It was always so relaxing, sitting there under the shadow of a tree, with the sun light dancing through the leaves as she let herself be consumed by a book.

It was the perfect way to stop thinking. To distract herself from everything, if only for a little while. But today, the sanctuary, the spell books held on her didn't work. Instead, she found herself going over the conversation with Mamoru over and over again, like a broken record.

She soon gave up on the idea of enjoying a good reading out in the sun. Her own mind just wouldn't let her, and to add to it, she felt guilty about the way she had treated Zoe; if Mamoru was right -and she knew better than to even think he could ever lie about what had happened in the past. Keep a secret, not really telling her anything? Yes. But never lie-, then she at least owed the green eyed Shitennou an apology.

And she deserved an explanation. For some reason, she already knew she was not going to like it. But she needed to know.

And so, here she was.

There had been no need to ask for Zoe's address; she already had it. She herself had had saved the blonde's phone number and address as a precaution, for future use if needed. It had been the same with the other three, and rationally, she understood there was nothing much to it that just that; assuring a way to contact the blonde if and when needed. But now she couldn't help but wonder if the blonde would feel offended somehow, or maybe invaded by her being there at all.

After yesterday, to assume they weren't exactly on friendly terms was a bit of an understatement.

Taking a deep breath and gathering her courage, she raised her hand, ready to just knock on the door and do what she had came here to do. But before she could ring the bell, the door opened up, and she blinked.

"Mizuno!" the blonde exclaimed, eyes wide and opened, obviously surprised. "H-hi!"

With her hair tied up in a low, loosen ponytail Ami was already all too familiar with, wearing a black and white striped maxiskirt, a white tank top and a denim shirt over it, white T-strap flat sandals on her feet, Zoe looked more than ready to head out. A bag was hanging from her shoulder and she held her sunglasses in one hand as she stood there, green eyes blinking in surprise and mouth hanging half opened, seemingly out of words.

"Hello," she greeted back, nodding her head. "Were you… were you going out?" she asked. "Am I interrupting…?"

"Not really," the blonde was fast to interrupt, shaking her head. "Did you need anything?"

"I wanted to talk to you," she answered. "But I can come later if…"

"No, it's fine," Zoe said, opening the door further up. "Please, come in."

Taking a deep breath, she nodded and did as she was told. And she would have stayed there, standing by the door and nervously fidgeting with her hands, if not for the blonde insisting on her taking a seat.

She hesitated by the couch then, tilting her head to a side. "If you're busy, I can…"

The words died in her throat when she saw the blonde smiling. Small and slightly sided, it brought way too many unwanted memories to her mind, and it made Ami extremely uncomfortable.

"I'm sure the grocery store's not going anywhere," Zoe said. "Can I offer you something?" he asked. "Tea, maybe?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm fine. Thank you."

"Alright," the blonde mumbled, sitting down on the sofa right across from her. "So, what can I do for you?"

"I came here because…" she trailed off, trying to put her thoughts in order. "Well, because, it has been brought to my attention that I may have been unfair to you."

"It's alright," Zoe said, taking any importance out of the conversation with a shake of her shoulder. "It's not like I was expecting any of you to welcome me with open arms..."

She shook her head. "Rei seems to like you," she pointed out. "So does Makoto. Minako is happy because Kun is happy, and Usagi... well, she likes everybody. That's just who she is; all heart, no second thoughts."

"But you don't particularly like me that much," Zoe put in for her.

She let out a sigh, trying to come up with the right words that would explain herself without giving out the completely wrong impression to the blonde woman. "It's not that..."

"It's alright, I don't blame you," the blonde interrupted. "I wouldn't like me either if I were you."

"It's not a matter of liking you or not," she said, shaking her head. "It's about trusting you," she argued. "I've been more than ready to judge you for all your crimes, for everything you've done..." she trailed off, frowning slightly when green eyes adverted away. "But I never heard your case," she finished.

The young woman across from her seemed to find the striped pattern of her skirt quite interesting as she traced them down with long, slightly fidgeting fingers. Nothing but silence extended between the two, and Ami was starting to get extremely uncomfortable by now.

"So?" she inquired. "You have nothing to say?"

The blonde shrugged. "There's not much to say..."

"What happened?" she asked, unable and unwilling to hide the demanding tone in her voice. "Back then, what happened?"

Letting out a sigh, green eyes looked straight at her, not without giving her a tired look. One that silently stated hers was a rather stupid question. "You already know..."

"No, I don't," Ami was fast to interrupt. "Apparently, everything I thought I knew is a lie, and I'm sorry if I'm thinking too much of myself here, but I believe I deserve to know."

A mix between a sigh and a sad, tired laugh escaped the blonde then, as green eyes wandered around the room. And Ami didn't need to look too hard or study her expression too much to know, Zoe was fighting against herself, against one memory or another.

She saw her circling her shoulder, slowly and slightly, as if trying to relieve pain. And she frowned, wondering what exactly was going through the blonde's head right now. But she barely had time to ponder upon that, as Zoe started talking again.

"I was weak, Beryl took over, end of story. That's it."

"Is it?" she asked, unsure.

"Yes."

Her eyes were hard. The usually soft emeralds looked hardened, and Ami knew she was lying.

"I don't believe you."

"Well, it's the truth," Zoe argued, with a set, decided frown in her face.

"No, it's not. So tell me what really happened," she insisted. "Please, Zoe, I…"

Something flashed through green eyes. Something that made her stop midsentence. But before Ami could even begin to try to understand, Zoe fought it off, putting on a mask instead.

"Look, if you want to hate me, that's fine," Zoe interrupted, standing up and ready to put an end to the entire conversation. "Like I said, I don't blame you. Just… let it go."

"No," she insisted. "I want to know…"

"It's easier that way, ok?" Zoe interrupted, in a tone of voice that bordered on begging as pain and shame and something else crossed through green orbs. But, again, she shook it off and composed herself; her eyes turning hard and decided once more. "Trust me, you don't want to know."

She frowned. "How do you know? How can you possibly know…?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Zoe interrupted, in a tone that clearly stated she was losing her patience. "Let it go," she said again, this time low and slow, in a warning tone that didn't escape her.

Ami didn't budge. With a set, determined expression of her own, she asked again.

"What happened, Zoe?"

.-.

Forcing his horse to a stop, he closed his eyes, trying to pick up on the track. A scent, a feeling, a certain aura, a trace of some sort; anything, really, that would lead him to her.

Three hours.

It had been three hours since the last time he sensed her. And for three hours, he had been trying to keep the others at bay, forcing himself to stay calm not to alert them. The distance served him well, but he also knew better than to actually believe he was fooling any of them; there was just no way they had not picked up on the void, that sudden, unnatural void where Zoisite's presence should to be.

The King was keeping the Prince occupied for the time being, but he could sense his growing concern. He knew it wouldn't take long before Endymion would join him out there, and he wanted to avoid that; he didn't want to give those rebels even the illusion of being able to take the Prince down.

Dismounting, he knelt down on the floor, trying to see if the rain had left any tracks for him to follow. It hadn't been a strong rain; merely a passing cloud carrying water. But it had been enough to turn everything around to mud and leaving no prints behind.

An almost imperceptible sound coming from the left caught his attention, and he stood up again. Placing a hand over the hilt of the sword resting at the side of his hips, but not unsheathing it, he wished it were his vow instead as he slowly made his way past the trees and to where the sound had just came from. And when it came again, barely a bit louder this time, he was able to recognize what it was.

A shuddering gasp.

Someone out there seemed to be in pain. But he couldn't pick on anything.

"Who's out there?" he shouted out, now unsheathing his sword and forgetting all about keeping his own fears to himself as his instincts told him there was something terribly wrong. "Show yourself!"

Nothing.

That's all there was. Absolutely nothing. And then…

.-.

"Do you know what it feels like, to feel nothing?"

Purple eyes bored into him as she shook her head, barely, as if she was afraid to say anything at all.

"Love, hate… boredom," he counted. "Even indifference. All emotions," he explained. "It's what makes us human. It's not natural not to feel anything."

"Jei…"

"She was the last one to fall, did you know that?" he asked before Rei could say anything, even though he already knew the answer.

He knew what she thought. What everyone thought. And neither of them, not him, not his brothers in arms, and certainly not Endymion himself had ever tried to correct that mistaken assumption.

"She was so far gone…" he trailed off, letting his eyes wander around the room. "I couldn't reach her. I tried. I swear I did, but…"

"What do you mean she was gone?" she asked, frowning, though he knew she wasn't nearly as confused or lost as she looked like.

"She just… shut herself off," he answered. "It was as if she wasn't even there at all. Even Beryl had trouble reaching her, and she had this way of… getting to people when they were most vulnerable," he explained. "When they were hurt and weak and… just vulnerable… she would come in, twist your thought and memories, and then suck your soul right out of you."

"Like she did with Mamoru," Rei put in, nodding her head in understanding.

He turned to look at her then. The look in those violet eyes was so intense; so sad and understanding. Compassionate.

There was compassion in her eyes, and that was something he hadn't expected. Not towards him, at least.

"She went to visit Mercury that night," he said. And when the Miko beside him nodded her head, he guessed Ami had told her something about that. Or maybe she had seen it herself. "Kunzite and Nephrite were away. Endymion was locked up with the King. They had been talking for hours…"

He chuckled sadly at the memory.

He remembered perfectly well what the Prince and the King had been talking about. He remembered Endymion's determination to talk his father into going to the Alliance for help and advice. He knew the Alliance would see that as an act of humility -something they were convinced the earthlings lacked of. Regardless of his own particular interest in finally achieving peace and getting into good terms with the Alliance, the Prince's heart had been in the right place; for the growing rebellions and the uneasy, evil energy they could feel, hidden in the deepest corners of the earth, the Alliance would be more than a mere political ally.

The King agreed to that, if his memory didn't fail him. But his Highness was also fully aware of the growing resent and distrust towards the people of the Moon, and he feared that, when accepting a peace treaty with them, he would be involuntary provoking a mutiny. In the King's eyes, such alliance had to wait; first, they needed to win their own people's trust in their voice and actions back.

"Someone had to be there," he continued. "We couldn't just disappear, all four of us, and I had to cover for Zoisite," he explained. "I remember being there, just sitting around and bored to death, thinking how much I rather be up there with her and… you know…" he trailed off, chuckling lightly when a tint of red came rushing to Rei's cheeks. "Pay you a little visit," he finished.

"It was the Harvest Festival," she argued, only to make him chuckle again.

As if that would have stopped him…

"Right," he said, shaking his head. "Anyway. I don't know what happened… I'm guessing she told Mercury the truth," he ventured, nodding his head in return when Rei nodded herself. "All I know is, when she came back, she was happy," he continued. "I got this… bubbling, cozy feeling from her," he said, chuckling again. "So, you know. I assumed things went well with Mercury. But then something happened. My face burned, my arms felt as if they were about to break, my chest hurt," he said, rubbing his chest as memories from that night invaded him.

"It was coming from her," Rei guessed.

He nodded. "I knew something was wrong," he said. "I knew something was terribly wrong when I got this… pure horror pouring out of her."

He frowned at that; he had always wondered about that.

They had trained. During the passing years, they had all trained so hard, working on their bond. And they had reached a point where they could easily let one another know their location in case of danger. And yet, that night, Zoisite never reached for him.

She never reached for anyone. Scared, horrified and humiliated as she had been, she bore it all alone, as if she was just too petrified to even remember how to use their link.

"I could almost feel her pain. And then…"

He closed his eyes, fighting the images filling his mind.

"And then what?" the Miko asked, in barely a trembling whisper.

"Nothing," he said, opening his eyes again and turning to look at her. "It felt as if someone just turned the switch off, and she just wasn't there anymore," he said, unable to keep his own voice from trembling as well.

He swallowed hard, rubbing his hands against his pants. Resting his elbows on his knees, he took a deep breath, trying to steady his own voice and mind as the images kept on filling his mind.

"I looked everywhere," he continued. "I looked everywhere for her, and when I found her, she… she was just… wandering in the woods…"

.-.

"Who told you?"

She wasn't quite sure of what surprised her the most; the recriminating tone, or the question in itself.

"Tell me what?" she asked back, frowning. "No one told me…"

"Bullshit," the hard, accusing exclamation forced her to shut up, blinking at the blonde woman as she paced around the room. "Who told you?" she demanded.

"No one!" she exclaimed, standing up as well. "No one told me _anything_! And I would really like to know what it is that I _don't_ know!" she said, not giving in under the blonde's hard gaze. "Why are you being so defensive?" she asked. "I didn't come here to accuse you of anything. I just want to know the truth."

Zoe didn't say anything. Instead, she turned around and walked up to the window, looking up at some point in the sky.

It was obvious she didn't want to talk, but Ami wouldn't have it. She knew she was hiding something, and she wanted, needed to know.

"Just… just tell me what happened," she pleaded. "Why… if it wasn't Beryl, then why did you break the bond like that?"

"I didn't."

"Then who did?"

"I don't know!" Zoe exclaimed, shaking her shoulders. She turned to look at her for a moment, crossing her arms over her chest. "I don't… I don't remember…" she admitted. "Much," she added, adverting her eyes away. "I don't _want _to remember."

She frowned at that, walking up to the blonde and standing right next to her by the window.

"Please, just… let it go, ok?" Zoe begged. "It doesn't matter anymore."

"Yes, it does," she argued.

She could see it in her eyes. Whatever it was Zoe was not telling her, whatever it was she was so desperately trying to hide -to forget? To run away from?-, it still hurt her. And if only because of that, because it still haunted the blonde, Ami knew it mattered.

"You owe me that much," she said, not really meaning it -not anymore.

She couldn't even imagine what it could be. All the wrongs she could imagine, the torment, the torturing, the pain, both physical and mental, with Metallia's dark energy invading her every pore, her every thought; she couldn't think of anything worse than that. And Zoisite had probably gone through it all, anyway.

Never an easy one to fool, always so smart and cautious, it had always bugged her, how easily Zoisite gave in to the Dark Kingdom's control. That, more than whatever history they had shared, was that had always bothered Ami to no ends. How could such a smart, proud, intelligent woman fall so easily? And if there has been no real betrayal, as Mamoru said, then what was it? What could possibly be so bad that led the Shitennou straight into Beryl's claws?

A long, tired sigh escaped the other woman, as green eyes gazed into her blue ones. "You're not gonna let this go, are you?"

She shook her head, waiting for Zoe to say something, anything else.

A voice inside her told her she shouldn't push it. Whatever it was, it was obviously private. But there was something… there was just something in those green eyes, and she just couldn't let it go. She had to know.

"Damn it," the blonde mumbled under her breath, turning around and sitting on the window's ledge, resting her back against the glass and closing her eyes for a moment.

And she stood there, patiently waiting for the woman to ready herself, to will the words to come. And when, finally, Zoe started talking, it almost felt as if it wasn't her the one saying the words at all.

"That night, after I came back, I ran into some soldiers," she began, looking straight ahead and into nothing in particular. "There were rumors going around… The rebels were starting to grow in numbers, resentful of the Moon Kingdom and its people. We all knew about it."

She nodded, encouraging the blonde to go on, for that was nothing new to her.

"But I guess none of us thought it was that serious," she said. "I mean, we never thought it would reach the Palace so fast…"

"You were ambushed?" she guessed, more than just a little bit incredulous.

It was hard to believe. As absurd as the idea of Zoisite being ambushed was, such a thing as soldiers betraying the Golden Crown escaping Kunzite's watchful, careful eye was even harder to imagine.

The blonde frowned, tilting her head to a side. "Guess you can call it that," she mumbled. "They knew where I was coming from," she continued. "Maybe they were spies… I don't know… but they knew, and they… well, they weren't happy. They said something about castrating me," she said, snorting and rolling her eyes, in sardonic mockery. "I remember them saying something about how it would send a message to the Prince," Zoe was saying. "But then they found out I'm a girl, and…"

The blonde trailed off, and a shudder ran up and down Ami's spine.

Zoe's words felt detached, as if she was just describing a scene. As if she was trying to distance herself from the tale. And as blue eyes started to slowly go wide and open as a sudden, brutal idea started forming in her mind, Ami began to understand why that was.

"I guess they came up with a better idea."

.-.

At first it was only a silhouette.

A shadow meandering around, giving stumbling, shaking steps as arms and legs seemed to jolt compulsively and erratically, on their own accord. But as the clouds cleared out, giving way to the moonlight, his own blue eyes went wide opened in horror.

The hair, tangled and wet, was no longer sandy blonde, but of a darker, covered in mud shade. Black and purple covered the once fair skin, with dried blood and mud all over. There were restraining marks and bruises in arms, wrists and ankles; the nose seemed to be broken, and the left eye was swollen and purple, barely opened.

Fresh blood was still running down naked legs, in a small river that tainted thighs, knees and ankles. And as he finally realized who the meandering, naked figure was, green eyes dulled and a completely blank expression, his own blood froze.

"Zoisite!"

.-.

He closed his eyes to the flooding images, shaking his head.

"Her face was all swollen up, she had scratches and bruises all over and… and there was blood…" he trailed off again. "God, there was _so_ much blood, _everywhere_…"

Rei gasped, and he turned to look at her.

"They raped her," he said, unable to keep the rage out of his own voice. "Those fucking bastards raped her."


	22. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: all and any Sailor Moon character belongs to Naoko Takeuchi. I just own the idea for this story. So don't sue me, but please don't steal either!

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* * *

**21**

"Get out of here!" he barked to the posting guards the second he stepped into the hallway.

They flinched at the tone of his voice. But other than blink and frown, they stood in their places. And he growled.

"Out!" he yelled again. "Call for Mrs. Asai!" he managed to remember at the last minute.

He needed help. He couldn't do this alone...

"Now!" he yelled one last time, successfully setting the guards in movement and out of the hallway.

Barely able to remember to keep the identity of the woman in his arms, he had somehow managed to either avoid all guards, or send them off the minute he came across them. And he was only half aware of what those he came across in the last ten minutes might be thinking of him, carrying an unconscious, beaten up woman around like that.

But he didn't care. He couldn't care about that right now.

He didn't care about such things as decency either. Virtue and dignity had been ripped off -he was having a hard time trying not to think of it right now-, and all he cared about was getting her into the private safety of his chambers.

He had only called for Mrs. Asai because he was afraid she would reject him and start screaming, just like she had done in the woods, trying to fight him off, with a complete lack of her normal strength, hysterical and delirious instead. He had had no option but to force her into slumber, but he barely had control over it, shaken and nervous and horrified as he was, and he certainly didn't want the entire Palace knocking on his door upon her screaming...

Kicking the door closed behind him, he carefully deposited the unconscious woman in the bed. Kneeling next to it, a trembling hand made it to the swollen face; the tip of his fingers barely lingering over the once fair skin.

Swallowing a chocked sob, he stood up, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes for a moment, forcing himself into action. With as much gentleness as his shaking hands allowed him to, he removed the hooded cape he had so precariously thrown over her. And as blue eyes took in the sight in front of him, he was unable to stop the sob from escaping him this time.

"Oh God..."

There was mud and dried blood all over. But even with that, he could still see the bruises and scratch marks; several different black and purple marks were decorating her stomach and torso, there were teeth marks clearly visible over her breasts, neck and shoulders, and a long though superficial cut, red and swollen -infected, surely-, crossed her stomach, from waist to lower belly. There were restraining marks in arms, wrists and ankles, and more bruises and marks over her legs. And her thighs...

He didn't dare look.

It was too much, and he just couldn't. He didn't have that kind of strength.

Turning around and closing his eyes, he took several deep breaths, trying to calm his wired nerves. He could feel moisture forming under his closed lids, and he sniffled, fighting with his own emotions.

The knock on the door caught him by surprise, and he composed himself, shaking his head and clearing his throat. "Come in," he said, in as much of a steady voice as he could master.

"You called for... Oh Dear Lord!"

He turned to look at her. And surely enough, there was a look of complete horror written all over Mrs. Asai's face. And he allowed her -and himself- a moment to gather her thoughts and emotions, to take in the horrid sight of the naked woman laying on his bed.

"Come," he said, turning back around to face the bed. "Help me clean her up."

.-.

The conversation with his father ended up in nothing. And he would have stayed there in the throne room until the first rays of light would come up, if not...

Something was wrong.

Something was so terribly wrong, he had been unable to concentrate; words, both voiced and heard, escaped him as an unbearable sense of dread invaded him. He couldn't quite pinpoint what it was; he feared to. But, whatever it was, he knew Kunzite and Nephrite could feel it too. Jadeite seemed to be fighting them off, trying to keep them away, and Zoisite...

He shook his head, forcing that line of thoughts off his mind. It couldn't be...

With strong, determined, fast strides, he made the way to where he could sense Jadeite's presence within the Palace. Without even bothering on knocking, he barged in, riled up and more than ready to demand an explanation; whatever had happened, whatever the reason, he didn't appreciate being shun out like that.

But he wasn't ready for the sight that welcomed him in the blonde man's chambers. Not even his wildest, craziest thoughts, the ones he had been avoiding ever since he first got this strange feeling of dread and absence, compared or even came close to what his eyes were telling him now.

There was a woman laying in the bed. Her face was almost completely disfigured, swollen up and purple as it was. And as his brain tried to tell him who that woman was, he refused to believe it, blinking the sudden tears away before they could even begin to form in his eyes as he took in the aspect of the woman; though covered, the sheet did nothing to hide her brutally beaten body.

Jadeite was sitting by the bed. With a loving, gentle hand, he was caressing the woman's wet blonde curls in a soothing, almost reverently manner as he held the woman's hand in his own free one.

Mrs. Asai was standing by the other side of the bed, right next to the side table. There were several clean cloths and small bottles he recognized as a cicatrizer solution and tincture of iodine from the infirmary.

"My Lord," Mrs. Asai said, stopping in her actions and looking up at him.

Unlike most of the many servants around the Palace, Mrs. Asai was not one to follow protocol. Not in the privacy of their chambers, at least. She knew too many secrets and saw the four of them as her own children, going as far as to scold them when she thought needed. Unless there was someone else in the room with them, and although she had never disrespected any of them, Mrs. Asai saw no shame in looking them in the eyes. And there was usually so much tenderness in those elder eyes of hers, too; a motherly like love the woman was barely able to conceal.

But there was no tenderness in Asai's eyes right now. The look in those brown, elder eyes spoke of sorrow and sympathy, and again, he denied it, turning to look at Jadeite instead. And the blonde was barely able to hold his gaze for longer than a couple of seconds before closing his eyes, turning his face back around and to the woman in the bed once more.

Tentatively, he walked up to the bed, glancing at the bruised woman, incredulous.

"I've seen this before," Mrs. Asai said, getting his attention and making him turn to her as the woman wetted a clean cloth. "When men think they can take what they want..." her voice trembled as she squeezed the cloth and walked back to the bed. "But this," she said, shaking her head, "the man who did this is no man at all," she stated, unshed tears filling her eyes as she folded the wet, cold cloth in half. "He's a monster."

With that, she lifted the sheet. Careful enough not to fully discovered the naked body underneath, probably wanting to still keep some sense of modesty, she sneaked the hand she held the cloth with, placing it in between the woman's legs and over the genital area, gently pressing.

And the woman stirred in her sleep; a low, painful moan filled the room and his own blue eyes went wide and opened.

The meaning of those words, of Mrs. Asai's actions and the unconscious blonde's reaction sunk in, and upon Jadeite's almost imperceptible nod of confirmation, he fell. Down to his knees, he fell next to the bed.

"I found her in the woods," Jadeite said, but his words barely registering in his mind. "She's sedated now, so she can rest."

With tears now flooding his eyes, he took the slender hand in his larger ones, noticing the bruised wrist.

"We cleaned her wounds, but I can't…" the blonde trailed off.

But again, he didn't listen, bringing the delicate hand to his lips and kissing it softly as the tears fell freely down his face.

"Endymion!" Jadeite called out, loud enough for him to finally look up at him. "You have to heal her," he pleaded. "I can't… I can't find her…"

The blonde's voice broke, and he finally understood what that void he felt meant.

"You have to heal her."

.-.

"She didn't even recognize me," he said, letting out a chocked gasp he was unable to contain. "She didn't recognize any of us. She just… stared into nothing."

He closed his eyes, remembering that blank expression in Zoisite's face.

She had woken up just as dawn was breaking, changed into her sleepshirt and looking like herself once more, no traces of bruises or marks anywhere, and she just sat over her pillows, staring out the window right behind the bed.

Only, she was looking without seeing, staring into nothing.

She wouldn't say a word, she wouldn't look at any of them. And when they tried to make her look at them, she would try to get back to her staring position, fighting them off, enervated and benumbed. That was all the reaction they've got from her; flinching away whenever someone approached her. But her blank expression and her dead eyes remained the same.

"I tried… we all did," he said. "But she just wouldn't even look at us," he remembered. "Endymion healed her. He… he could heal her body, but…"

She placed a comforting hand in his shoulder, and he looked up at her, offering a small, sad smile.

"It's wasn't your fault, Jei," she said. "She went into shock. It's normal to…"

"No, you don't understand," he argued, shaking his head. "She wasn't even _there_. I mean, physically, she was, but…"

"She was gone," Rei put in for him when words failed him.

He chuckled then. A low, sad sound with a complete lack of humor that resembled more of a sigh than an actual chuckle.

"Kunzite went mad," he continued, thinking he might as well tell her everything.

He knew she had probably already guessed what exactly had happened. Or at least, she must have a better, more accurate idea. But he had come this far, told her this much; now he had to tell her the rest, to let her know, nothing of what had happened next had been a conscious choice for neither one of them.

"He completely lost it," he stated. "I've never seen him like that. Before or since then," he said, remembering the first and last time he had seen the tanned man cry.

For the first time in the many years he had known the man, he saw his commanding officer actually losing control. Overwhelmed by his own emotions, shaken beyond words, he had sat next to the bed and, holding Zoisite's hand in his larger ones as she slept, he had cried.

And when he asked who had done that to her and Jadeite offered the only answer he had, the one had got himself from trying to enter Zoisite's fractured mind, the man went completely mad. Just like that, Kunzite went from broken, silent tears to blinding rage, and the hunt begun.

"He wanted to find those damn guards and kill them with his own hands," Jei continued. "And I swear, Rei, I wanted to do the same," he confessed, looking into her eyes, hoping, begging for her to understand. "I wanted them dead," he admitted. "But I couldn't leave her. I just… I kept trying to reach her, to bring her back…"

He closed his eyes, consumed in guilt. Even though he had made peace with his past, there was a part of him that still blamed himself. If only he could have reached Zoisite in time. If only he had gone with her to the Moon, then maybe those men wouldn't have hurt her. He should have at least been waiting for her in the woods…

He should have stopped Kunzite. He had known, instinctively, he had known, such hunt couldn't do anyone any good. With Endymion gone and Zoisite still lost to them, Nephrite had been the one going after Kunzite. Though the brunette's original intention had been preventing their commanding officer from doing anything rash, foolish and completely revengeful, to keep him from committing the one crime they had all thought of that fateful night, neither one of them had been in their right state of mind back then. And Jadeite had known that, for he could not only feel it, but his own state of mind had been hanging from a thread as well.

He hadn't lied to Zoe. Rationally, he understood none of them was to blame. Once it started, the chain of events that changed everything had been unstoppable and inevitable, and there had been no way for any of them to know beforehand. They had never imagined anything even remotely like it…

He knew that. Just like he knew the 'what if' was a spinning, endless road. But sometimes, he just couldn't help it, and it tormented him.

"Endymion went to see Queen Serenity," he continued. "To warn her, to beg for help… There was no way for him to know, for any of us to know it would take them so little time to take over the entire Golden Palace."

"And with Endymion away, Beryl took Kunzite," Rei put in for him.

He nodded, looking into her purple eyes and finding an indescribable sense relief; she understood.

"And then Nephrite, and then you."

Frowning and swallowing the knot in his throat, he nodded again. "I'm sorry… I should have…"

.-.

Placing her hand upon his, she silently interrupted him before he could even begin to form his sentence. She already knew what he was about to say, and she didn't think it fair.

It wasn't fair to him. It wasn't right, and he shouldn't feel responsible.

"You're not to blame," she said, for once being honest and completely transparent with him, hoping he would see the truth in her eyes. "There was nothing you could've done."

"I should've resisted her. I…"

"In the state you were in?" she questioned, frowning in disbelief. "With Kunzite and Nephrite gone, and Zoisite…" she shook her head, unable to even find the right words.

She couldn't even imagine being in that position, being through all that only for evil to take over her completely. She imagined she would fight, try to escape, to defend herself from the evil force; but the truth was, she wasn't sure how she would react. She wasn't sure her own reaction would be that far off from Kunzite's. And in that state of mind, with her judgment clouded like that, she wasn't sure she would be able to resist.

She wasn't Usagi; forgiveness and unconditional love didn't come as easy and naturally to her as it did to her Princess. And she sure as hell wouldn't forgive those bastards if it had been any of her Senshi sisters.

Kunzite's reaction had been perfectly understandable. She knew many men reacted the exact same way when their sister, daughter, friend got raped. Only, most men didn't have the means or stomach to actually go through with it; most men weren't Kunzite.

She both knew and remembered enough about the Shitennou's bond and how it worked to know what it must've been like for him, for all of them. Even one of them under Beryl's spell would've been enough for the rest to follow sooner or later, with Metallia's evil energy contaminating their minds and souls through their bond.

With Zoisite already gone, and the shock and anger and impotence, with their entire world becoming a horrible nightmare, now she understood. Now she knew why it had been so easy for Beryl to take all of them.

"There's nothing you could've done, Jei."

He looked at her and said nothing. He just stared into her eyes, as if trying to decide on his next words.

"I'm sorry," he finally said

"It wasn't your fault," she pointed out.

"I didn't mean that," he said, shaking his head. "I mean, yes, I'm sorry for that too. And I regret every single thing I've said and done…" he trailed off, guessing there was no need to clarify to what specific periods of time he was referring to. "But that's not what I meant," he soon added, with a look upon those blue eyes of his that let her know, though he was still referring to the past, the center of the conversation had shifted. "I'm sorry I hurt you."

Retreating her hand from his, she shifted in her seat. This wasn't a conversation she was particularly keen on having -at all. But she knew it would come up sooner or later. And at least now she had all the facts.

She had resented him for so long, for so many different reasons. She had resented the Shitennou from her past that had crossed her, betraying everything and everyone. She had resented the Shitennou from this time around for everything he had done. And she had resented the Taitou heir long before she found out who he really was -though that had more to do with her father than with the guy himself.

When finding out the young Taitou was coming back to the country after years of absence, her father had been thrilled. He came from a wealthy family with a respectable name; surely, he would make a wonderful son in law. And Rei hated everything the Taitou name represented; realizing the heir her father seemed so set on giving her off to was none other than Jadeite had only served to fuel her resentment.

To his credit, he soon turned out to be the exact opposite of what her father expected him to be. He had renounced to his right to run the family business, giving it away to the many men already fighting over it. And although he still had some actions, a very nice bank account and a few properties here and there -according to what she had heard from Minako and the others-, he wasn't interested in living the good life he had been born into.

Vaguely -evilly amused-, she wondered what her father would think of him being there with her at all. After he had renounced to the Taitou Corp., Senator Hino had all but thrown the man into the bottom of his list of what he considered worthless, reckless men who didn't know how to be responsible.

She no longer resented him. Having been born into wealth and money wasn't Jei's fault; that was something she had realized a while ago already. And now that she knew what had really happened back then, why he had given in under Beryl's spell, she couldn't find it in herself to hold that against him. And, in any case, she had always known that, everything he had done, everything all four of them had done back then, it hadn't been their own doing; those four servants had been nothing but hollow copies of what the Shitennou had once been.

"You didn't," she said. But when he arched an eyebrow at her, she shook a shoulder. "You did, but it wasn't you. Not really," she tried to explain. "Your body was there. It was your face, your voice. But you weren't there…" she trailed off, frowning. "I know it doesn't make sense, but…"

"It does," he interrupted her, nodding his head.

There was a ghost of a smile dancing on the corner of his lips. And the look upon his blue eyes talked of gratefulness, of relief and appreciation.

It bothered her. It was such a soft, naked look. It reminded her of other times…

She knew he had been trying to make amends for a long while now. Trying to prove, to her and to everyone else, that he was not the same guy he had been back then; that he had changed, that he was different. And though she knew it had been wrong of her to never give him the opportunity to do so, to at least talk, she didn't want him to get the wrong idea.

Yes, he wasn't the same. But neither was she.

"This doesn't change anything," she stated, wanting to make it perfectly clear. "Between us…"

"I know," he interrupted her again, nodding his understanding. "I know that. I just…" he trailed off, letting out a tired sigh. "I've wanted you to know the truth for so long. I'm not asking for forgiveness, and I won't ask for a second chance," he stated. "I know things are entirely different now. I just… I wanted you to know, to understand why..."

"It's alright, I understand," she said, nodding her head. "And thank you for telling me," she soon added. "I can see why none of you ever said anything. It's not something I'd want everyone to know, and I know it can't be easy to talk about it."

He snorted, shaking his head. "Yeah…" he trailed off, running a hand through his blonde hair. "Maybe now we can be in good terms," he proposed, with a smile dancing on his lips that silently hinted at her avoiding him all the time.

It was her turn to snort now, flicking a lock of hair off her shoulder. Putting up her guard once more, suddenly uncomfortable at how close they had just gotten over the last hour or so, she stood up, signaling their meeting to be over.

"We'll see about that. I'm not making any promises, though."

He stood up as well, taking his bag and hanging it across his torso. "Think about it," he said, in that easy, relax attitude of his.

Slightly bowing his head in goodbye, he walked through the door. Turning around, he offered her a small, half felt, slightly coy smile.

"I'm not a monster, you know? Not anymore."

With that, he turned around and made the way through the Shrine's yard.

She stood there for a moment longer, watching his retreating back and chewing on her lower lip.

"I know," she murmured to no one in particular. That was what she was so afraid of…

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Like it? Hate it? Any thoughts?


	23. Chapter 22

******Discalimer: **Haruka and Michiru and all Sailor Moon characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi. Everything else belongs to me. Please do not steal!

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Here's another chap! Hope you like it, and as usual, reviews are always welcome.

Enjoy!

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**22**

A hit to the jaw would have sent her straight to the ground, if not for the two men holding her by the arms. They forced her to stay put, painfully jerking from her arms at an odd angle, and she wasn't sure if the painful whimper that escaped her was because of the hit she just received, or because her arms felt as if they were just about to break.

Everything hurt.

Her head was spinning, her face burned, she could barely breathe. It hurt to breathe, and there just wasn't enough air getting to her lungs. She barely had any strength left, and she was barely able to understand what they were saying, numb and stunned and hurt as she was.

"This would teach that traitorous Prince a lesson," one of them was saying.

The buzzing in her own ears was making it hard for her to hear clearly; her burning eyes seeing without really registering.

That was, until she heard the unmistakable sound of metal being unsheathed. And as the man approached her, something indescribable and sinister filling his dark eyes as he waved his sword around, panic took over her.

"Do you know what the punishment is for consorting with those witches?" one of the men that were holding her by the arms hissed into her ear, sending a chill down her spine.

The one in front of her smiled. A wicked, twisted smile, as he reached for the scarf around her neck. "A gift from your whore?" he asked, mockingly arching a questioning eyebrow as he pulled from it, being deliberately rude about it, letting the material burn the skin around her neck.

With an almost paralyzing fear, she realized what their intentions were. Her heart stopped, all air left her, and she became numb to the pain. All that mattered, all she could think of was, she couldn't let them find out.

They were strong, and she was sure the force of the struggle would dislocate her shoulders. But she didn't care; all the strength, the endurance and stamina she thought lost to her only moments ago came back, and she fought to break free.

"Come on, boy!" one of them mocked somewhere behind her. "Is that all you've got?"

"Hold him still!" the one with the sword yelled out.

"No!" she growled, still trying to break free.

It all happened too fast.

The hands holding her arm twisted a little too upright as she struggled to break free. She jerked away and jumped as the sound of leather being cut off filled the air. An echo of surprised gasps followed, and she barely registered a burning pain across her stomach as she landed in all fours on the ground.

"What on earth?" one of them said, right before a rude hand forced her up again by the hair.

She screamed out in pain, trying to free herself as once again the arms came around her, keeping her up and still.

Her hands were up, trying to release her hair from the man's painful grasp, and she was fully aware of the state of her ripped jacket. There was a warm dampness over her stomach, but she knew the blood now tainting her corset was not what they were all staring at; her breasts, tight and pressed against the cleavage, barely held in place after all the struggle, going up and down with her agitated breathing, left her secret out in the open. Painfully obvious for those men to see and contemplate.

"A woman?" one of them asked, incredulous.

A rude hand grabbed her chin, forcing her to tilt her face up.

"Well, well, well," the one holding the sword said. "It appears the Prince's been hiding his whore right under our noses, all the time!"

"Don't you _dare_ talking about him like that!" she growled, trying to jump forward, with all the intention of strangling the man.

But the hold in her arms wouldn't give. If anything, it only got stronger, pulling from her arms backwards and provoking a painful gasp to escape her parted, bleeding lips as she heard a small crack, and a piercing pain spread from her shoulder to her entire body.

"Shut up, you whore!" one of the men behind her hissed into her ear, sending a cold shiver down her spine.

The tip of the sword came dangerously close to her throat then and she whimpered, shutting her eyes closed.

They were not going to let her go alive. Of that, she was sure.

"So, are you?" the man asked, as the tip of the sword traveled from her throat to her chest and down the front of her corset in a threatening, slow movement. "Are you the Prince's whore?" he asked again, guiding his sword back up. "Or are you a virgin?"

She tried to pull away just as he moved the sword again. A desperate, humiliated cry escaped her as she felt the front of her corset being ripped apart; strong arms kept her still, pulling from her arms strongly and rudely.

And she kept on trying to break free, wanting to cover her now exposed breasts.

But the strong hold wouldn't let her, and she shut her eyes closed, ashamed and defeated. All the pain from the previous beating came rushing back, and only the hands on her hair and arms were holding her up as her entire body went limp.

"Please… let me go," she begged, as the tears were now freely cascading down her cheeks. "Please…"

"So this is the real Zoisite," the one with the sword mocked, making her look at him again.

There was something primal in his eyes. Something wild and maddening; sick and twisted, just like the smile he was giving her now as he unbuckled his belt.

She panicked. Complete, utter horror invaded her completely and she screamed and kicked and bit, jerking away and desperately trying to break free.

A slap across her face stopped her frenzy, fruitless attempts enough for the men holding her still to push her down on the ground. Hands on her wrists and arms were keeping her in place as another pair of hands tried to take her pants off.

"No!" she screamed. "No, please! Stop!"

Another slap made her taste blood as one of the men yelled something. But she could no longer hear them, stunned, shocked, and utterly terrified.

The sound of clothes being ripped got lost to the sound of her screaming as the night's breeze graced her now completely naked body.

Someone forced something into her mouth and she choked as the burning alcohol made it through her throat. She gagged in reflex, almost drowning, just as two set of hands forced her legs apart.

A weight came upon her, and a sudden, piercing pain washed over her; a throaty, forceless, shuddering scream erupting from her lips just as someone took the bottle off her mouth.

Like a beast, a dragon stabbing its tail into her, it tore her from inside. Her whimpering screams accompanied each piercing thrust, and a burning, maddening pain spread through her, almost blinding, as tearful eyes glued themselves to the white orb shining proudly up in the sky.

.-.

"They took turns, and then they left me for dead" she said, suppressing a shuddering sigh and trying to make her voice as steady as possible. "I think I kind of was… in a way," she added as a second thought.

"Oh my God…," the bluenette whispered.

"I passed out after the second one, and was… coming and going out of consciousness through it all," she explained. "I don't remember much, anyway. I only know because I forced Jei into showing me."

"God, Zoe…" the girl whispered again, placing a gentle hand upon her own. "I… I'm so sorry I… I didn't know…"

There was an expression of complete horror written all over her face, and Zoe sighed.

That was exactly what she didn't want.

Mizuno was right, in a way; she owed it to her, to the history they once had, to be honest and tell her the truth. And Zoe had always known, ever since she first started remembering she had known, she owed the shy, pretty bluenette girl an apology; it must have been hard to see the one person she had once loved and opened up to turning evil, betraying her and everyone else. Betraying everything…

But she didn't want to be thought of like the victim; just because something horrible had happened to her, it didn't exonerate her from her own deeds and wrong doings.

She was no victim, and she didn't want Mizuno's sympathy. She needed her to understand, not to pity her.

"I'm… I'm fine," she said, shaking a shoulder. "It doesn't really feel like it happened to me, you know?" she tried to explain. "I mean, I can see myself, and I know I was in pain… I mean, it hurt like _hell_," she stated, letting out a shuddering sigh. "But… it feels like watching a movie or something…" she tried to explain. "Like it happened to someone else."

"Dissociation," the bluenette offered, nodding her head. "Your mind separates itself from your body in order to protect yourself," the girl explained. "It often happens during traumatic experiences…"

She nodded her head, chuckling humorlessly. "Yeah…"

It wasn't hard to see, the bluenette was in her doctor mode right now. It was probably her own way of dealing with things, with everything Zoe had just told her.

It did explain why she couldn't remember any of it by herself if not for Jei's help. And it also explained why she couldn't remember anything of what had happened next. She knew dissociation often led to physiological numbness, disengagement and depersonalization. So maybe that was why she couldn't remember anything; her memories went from that meeting in the Moon Palace's gardens, to being under Beryl's control.

Zoe had always just assumed she had been weak. But her newfound memories offered a different perspective.

"Anyway," she said, taking a deep breath and then letting it out slowly. "It doesn't matter anymore. Like I said, I don't remember much, and it happened to Zoisite, not to me," she said. "It was another lifetime, and it doesn't matter anymore."

It helped. To separate herself from Zoisite's life helped.

It didn't really help with her guilt, with the regret and sorrow of everything that happened next. Even with the explanation of what had really happened, of what exactly had led to her doom, it didn't help ease her demons; as terrible as what had happened to her was, it didn't justify in any way her own actions back then.

Under Beryl's spell or not, it had been her committing all those terrible crimes.

"I know this doesn't change things," she started to say. "Nothing I can say or do would ever change anything. The things I did… I've betrayed everyone, and I have to live with that."

"No, that's…"

"I know what I did," she said, interrupting the bluenette before she could really say anything. "And I'm sorry. I know saying sorry doesn't change anything, and I wish I had something better to say but…" she trailed off, shaking her head. "It wasn't my choice," she said. "You have to understand, it was never a choice. For any of us. And I know it doesn't justify…"

"It's alright," the other said, as it was now her turn to interrupt the blonde. "I understand," she said, gently squeezing the hand she still held in hers.

The way she looked at her right now, with those big blue eyes of hers so filled with compassion and understanding; her eyes seemed lighter now, and there was something in her eyes that triggered another image in Zoe's mind.

Something entirely different. Something she just couldn't forget.

It haunted her, that look in those same blue eyes when they had faced each other in battle that last, fateful night. The shock and disbelief, the disappointment, and the pain… There had been so much pain in those sapphires, barely concealed and put aside for the sake of battle; an unbearable pain filling tearful eyes when the ice pierced Zoisite's chest, killing her.

That look haunted her, and it was what made being near Mizuno so hard and weird and just… awkward.

It was a really awkward position to be in. Feeling such guiltiness for being the one causing that look, for putting the girl into that much pain, knowing she owed the girl at the very least an explanation. And an apology. For causing her so much pain back then, and for being unable to return those feelings now.

She was sure she was a nice girl, and she sure must be a good Senshi, just like she was back then. Or even better, considering the many trials and enemies they had faced over the last seven years. But just because she was a nice young woman who just happened to be the reincarnation of a girl she had once had feelings for, didn't mean she still had feelings for her.

She didn't want to get back to where they left, no matter how pretty the young woman sitting next to her was.

And she was. Mizuno was quite the beautiful woman -even if she seemed to be completely oblivious about it, which only made her even more beautiful. But besides the fact that she didn't even know the girl at all and she herself was not looking for a relationship of any kind with anyone, there was also one small, tiny little detail.

Mizuno was most certainly not into women.

It was plain obvious, and she knew better than to get involved with the straight girl. Those kinds of relationships never ended well, usually for the gay part involved in said relationship. And though she had never really tested that theory herself, and though her curious nature was always ready and willing to test a theory, in this particular case, with this particular girl, she didn't want to prove herself right.

It was a recipe for disaster. In so many different levels, Zoe didn't even want to think about it.

Now, the problem was, how to explain that to Mizuno without sounding like a complete jackass?

When nothing came to mind, she let out a sigh, awkwardly scratching the back of her neck.

"I really am sorry," she started to say. "I'm sorry I hurt you. I really didn't mean to…"

She trailed off when the girl's cheeks burnt brightly red.

Letting go of her hand, Mizuno tucked a short blue lock behind her ear, adverting her eyes away. And Zoe wasn't sure if she was uncomfortable because that was not the conversation she wanted to be having right now, or if she was just embarrassed, being that cute shy girl the blonde remembered from back then.

She wasn't sure where Mizuno stood regarding their past, and considering both Kunzite and Nephrite had patched things up with Venus and Jupiter respectively, she didn't want the girl getting the wrong idea.

"Look, I don't know how to say this without sounding like a complete ass," she started. "I apologize in advance for that. And, like I said, you can hate me if you want to, but…" she trailed off, chuckling nervously and scratching the back of her neck. "You're a beautiful girl. You are," she insisted, when Mizuno's cheeks burnt even redder. "But I'm not looking for…"

A fast, incoherent, short little babble escaped the bluenette then as she raised both hands, palms up and successfully shutting the blonde up.

She blinked repeatedly, probably trying to fight off the deep brush tinting her cheeks. And Zoe had to make an effort not to smile; the girl looked kind of cute right now, all embarrassedly blushed like that…

"It-it's ok," the bluenette was fast to say. "That's not… that's now why… I don't… I mean, I'm not…"

_Not gay. Got it_, the blonde thought to herself.

"So we're on the same page, then?" she asked, saving the girl from her embarrassment, if only a little.

She was already perfectly aware of what she was trying to explain, anyway.

"Yes," Mizuno said, nodding her head. "Yes, there's no… interest… regarding…"

"Not at all," the blonde agreed, nodding her head as well.

"Good, good," the other said, obviously still a bit embarrassed as she rearranged her hair behind her ears and looked everywhere but her. "I just… I only came here because I… I needed to know," she finally explained. "I needed to understand, and…" she trailed off, now looking up into her green eyes. "Thank you for telling me."

She shrugged. "You were right. I did owe you an explanation," she reasoned. "Just… don't tell anyone, alright?" she asked. "I don't want…"

"No, of course not," the other said, shaking her head.

They looked at each other then, and a moment of silence stretched between them.

It wasn't quite uncomfortable. It almost felt as if in that silence, a truce between them was made; as if they both silently agreed to let the past where it belonged and just moved on with their lives. As meaningful and beautiful -though short lived- as it had been, neither of them had any desire to pick up on it and continue it, and they both were willing to just let go of it.

The bluenette stood up then, giving her a smile that to Zoe felt like a silent sealing to their tacit agreement.

And she accepted it. Standing up as well, she returned the smile, felling somewhat relieved.

"I guess I'll leave you to that grocery shopping now."

She chuckled. "Yeah," she said, nodding her head. Her fridge did need to be refilled, after all…

As she walked the girl to the door, she wondered where exactly were they standing now. Where they going to be friendly now? Act like mere acquaintances? Ignore each other and forget the other even existed?

That one conversation at the coffee shop that had first triggered Mizuno's accusing words and this entire conversation came to mind, but Zoe discarded the idea of even mentioning it. The girl had a lot to process as it was, and they did just reach some sort of truce between them; bringing that one subject up, with the quite possible argument about her techniques and ideas, was probably not the best way to go right on that moment.

That could wait. She could wait. And if Mizuno decided she didn't want to do it, then that was fine with her.

The world was still spinning. They were all alive and breathing. Obviously, Sailor Mercury and the rest of the Senshi had been doing a great job without that tracking system idea of hers; she figured there was no harm in them continuing as they had been doing things this far.

Opening the door for her, they said their goodbyes and the girl stepped out of the apartment and into the hallway. But just as she was about to make her way to the elevators, something seemed to come to her mind, and she frowned; curious blue eyes looking up and into her green ones.

"Who was the old smith?"

She blinked, taken by surprise at the completely unexpected question.

"I remember you mentioning him once," Mizuno offered, shrinking her shoulders. "But I don't remember… I was kind of wondering who he was."

She blinked again, frowning and searching through her memories, and then again as a face popped into her mind's eyes, a small, soft smile made it to her lips.

"He took me in," she said, as memories flooded her mind.

She remembered him. She remembered the old, good hearted man who had taken care of the small, orphan Zoisite living on the streets.

She didn't know exactly when he had come into Zoisite's young life; he had always been there for as far as she could remember. All she knew was that he had taken her in when she was two, maybe three years old, offering her shelter and a place to stay.

Of a humble house himself and with already four kids of his own, he had been unable to adopt her and take her into his house with him. But he had been kind to her, offering his workshop for her to sleep in during the nights, and a nice meal every morning.

It was because of him, because of her time in that small workshop, that she had became so good with knifes and daggers. Too young to actually handle a sword, or even lift one, the young girl had dedicated many nights escaping sleep and practicing with the many knifes all around.

Suddenly, she remembered everything.

She remembered his kind smiles, his fatherly like advises, his deep, rumbling laughter. Just like she remembered crying herself to sleep, cold and alone, curled against a wall in some dirty alley after he passed away.

The old smith had died of pneumonia one cold, cruel winter, leaving his wife and children without a husband and father, with no means to sustain themselves and bring food into their table. And leaving one small orphan girl all alone in the world.

She had been nine years old that winter. And then spent the next two years doing everything in her power to survive the hard, unforgiving life the streets offered. And then she had entered the Golden Palace's training program.

The rest… well, the rest was history.

"He taught me how to read," she said, smiling in remembrance.

Mizuno smiled too; a soft, gentle smile. "And he gave you your name."

She blinked, once, before nodding her head. She scratched the back of her head as her smile spread through her face; that was a really nice memory.

For once, remembering Zoisite's life didn't feel like a living hell.

"Thank you," she said. "For reminding me of him. Thank you."

"No problem," the girl smiled, nodding her head. "Have a good day."

"Yeah, you too."

She watched the girl's retreating back for a moment before stepping back into her flat and closing the door.

With that soft, a bit nostalgic smile still dancing in her lips, she walked up to the bookshelf, where an elegant but simple wooden frame held the photograph of a young couple.

She had never really put that much thought into reincarnation and the many theories about it. They were only that; theories and conjectures no one could really prove. But now that she thought about it, with memories filling her mind, bringing back faces she recognized and cherished, a small, tearful chuckle escaped her as one long finger lingered over the handsome face of the blonde man in the photograph.

"I love you, daddy," she whispered softly, heartedly.

Her stomach grumbled then, reminding her of its lack of content, and of the general emptiness of her fridge, and she straightened up.

"Right, food," she mumbled to herself, placing the photograph back in the shelf, ready to do what she had originally intended to do before the little -and not entirely unpleasant- trip to Memory Lane.

Grabbing her bag and keys, she stepped out of her flat and on her way to the grocery shop.


	24. Chapter 23

**********Discalimer: **all Sailor Moon characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi. Everything else belongs to me. Please do not steal!

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**23**

A soft breeze played with the skirt of her dress and forced her to a stop. Making sure everything was still in order, cream colored summer dress perfectly in place, she rearranged her bag over her shoulder and, turning the page around, resumed her walking.

She had long ago mastered the ability to walk down the street while reading. Her friends used to question her about it, wondering how come she never bumped into anyone, or how she knew when to stop because of a green light. It was quite the ability, she knew. But she had no idea of how she did it. It was like a sixth sense of some sort, and she simply knew when to stop, turn, slow down, or just keep walking; blue eyes glued to the printed pages at all times.

It really was a curious ability. Specially considering books had the ability to drawn her in, consuming her completely and making her forget all about the outside world. If she really thought about it, it was a wonder she could do anything but breathe while reading.

Makoto often teased her about it, saying she had an internal GPS; whenever she was doing her walking-reading activity, she would keep on going until she would reach her destination, following a previously determined path. And as she looked up and realized she had, indeed, reached her destination, a smile made it to her lips; maybe the brunette was right about that.

Marking the page and closing the book, she entered the coffee shop. The happy singing of the bells announced her arrival just as those ever smiling, wide green eyes looked up; the smile in those eyes soon following to her lips as the tall brunette waved her hand happily, welcoming her in.

She returned the smile, only a little less enthusiastic, walking up to the counter and offering a smile to the young man standing there.

"Good afternoon, Miss Mizuno," he greeted, vowing his head and offering a gentle smile.

"Good afternoon to you too, Shin," she greeted back.

She answered to his light, occasional chatting as she waited for her friend to prepare the order she hadn't placed. There was no need for her to do, anyway; Makoto already knew, down to scientific precision -or as scientific as culinary arts and making coffee could ever be-, exactly how she liked her coffee.

Shin kept on making small talk, and soft long fingers tapped mindlessly against the cover of the book she had placed over the counter while she waited.

She didn't want to be impolite, and Makoto's employee was a rather nice young man. And she usually enjoyed their small talks, too. But on that moment, she couldn't help but wish for Makoto to work on her coffee magic just a tad faster so she could get back to her reading; it was going to take her longer than she had originally thought, and she wanted to get started as soon as possible.

It was a good thing it was summer, though. There was a lot she needed to read, learn, and fully understand before she could really get to work, and she was surely going to need all that extra free time summer offered.

"A friend of mine is acting on this play," Shin was saying, "and I was wondering if maybe you'd like to come?" he finished, shrinking his shoulders a little in what Ami could only read -and relate to- as shyness.

Yes, he was a nice, quite handsome young man. And charming too, in his own, sometimes a bit shy, way. And her experience in dating may be close to zero, but she did know how to recognize when someone was asking her out, even if the word 'date' hadn't been voiced at all.

She wasn't any good at this. She never knew what to say or how to react when someone asked her out. Luckily for her, it didn't happen that often.

She was not Minako; she was not good at flirting and dating and romance. She wasn't even sure she believed in romance to begin with…

At least, not in the modern conception of it.

Of course she believed in love. Not just the general idea of it, or the kind of love one had for friends and family, but the romantic kind of love. That which Usagi and Mamoru were the ultimate expression of.

She believed in it, and a small part of her dreamed of finding it. Some day in the far future.

But romance these days was all about strategies and mind games and fabricated moments. Nice dinners with candle light and fine wine, and having to dress up and look one's best and show only one's best side to attract the other.

There were set, implicit rules to follow; the flirting, the expectations, the goodnight kiss, not knowing if it would actually lead anywhere, and then waiting for that one phone call. What had ever happened to hand written love letters and poetry whispering secrets of the heart? To spontaneity and long, heart to heart conversations. To long walks along the beach in perfect silence, and being caught in the rain. If she was ever to experience love, that was what she wanted; not passionate, earth shaking and knees trembling romance and love at first sight, but slowly growing, tender love. The kind that bloomed from long talks, the simple shared moments, the passing days and the growing trust and care.

But even with all that, even with the rain and the poetry and the long letters, there was no guarantee. Love didn't always conquer it all. That was what her parents' marriage had taught her; relationships demanded time and effort and compromises. Happily ever afters never came without hard work.

And right now, she didn't have the time for it.

Even the idea of going out on a date with someone she barely knew made her uneasy. Again, the talking, the set up scenario, the dressing up and playing by the rules. And even by doing so, by strictly following the rules, there was no guarantee. The outcome was unpredictable, and the entire process felt so alien to her, it took her so far away from what she knew, from her element, that it just made her nauseous, and the supposedly hoped for outcome was something she was neither aiming nor looking for to begin with.

Shin seemed like a nice enough guy. But she just wasn't interested; not in dating in general, and not in him in particular. She just needed to come up with a nice way to turn down the invitation.

And as she squeezed her brains out trying to do just that, the singing of the bells announced the arrival of a new costumer and she turned to the door, if only to take advantage of the fleeting distraction. But as she did so and looked into all too familiar green eyes, blonde curls escaping the low, messy bun at the back of her neck, framing face and neck and then falling over the shoulder, she wished she hadn't.

They hadn't talked, or even seen each other since that one, long overdue conversation four days ago. And really, why would they? They were not friends.

She no longer resented the blonde. She still had her reservations, mostly because she barely knew the woman and, unlike Usagi, fully trusting someone from the get go was something she just didn't know how to do. For her, trust had to be earned, and that could only be achieved with time. But that had more to do with her and her own believes and standards than with the blonde herself, and she honestly didn't resent her for the past anymore.

She now understood what had caused the falling of the Shitennou, what had happened to bring everything to an end like that. But knowing and fully processing something were two completely different things, and the not so intellectual part of her was still having a bit of a hard time with that last part.

If anything, that one conversation had brought new light to the events of that last, final night. But it didn't change the fact that she had no interest in the blonde she had been so infatuated with, and it certainly didn't make being around her any less uncomfortable. And as she gazed into soft green eyes, she guessed it was probably the same for the blonde woman.

Stopping at the door and switching from foot to foot, the blonde seemed to consider it for a moment before making her way to the counter.

"Hi," she said once she finally reached her, as she reaccommodated her sunglasses at the top of her head.

"Hi," she greeted back, slightly vowing her head.

Curious green eyes looked at her, one perfectly lined eyebrow surreptitiously going up in a questioning manner as her tall friend made her way back, handing her her order and then gifting the newly arrived with one of her wide, friendly smiles. And Ami couldn't help but blush.

She hated the way everyone seemed to be so interested in the development of a none existent relationship...

She thought it was because the blonde had turned out to be, all along, a woman. She was sure her friends wouldn't be as interested and curious about it if she was a he. And really, their fascination over the -very short lived- affair was ridiculous and, quite honestly, annoying.

Zoe was a beautiful woman. That was not exactly hard to notice, with those forest green eyes that would change color with the light, the forever rebel blonde curls cascading down her neck and shoulders, a small, pointy little nose and high cheekbones. Not too tall, but not short either, she was fit and slender; her legs seemed to go on forever, the denim minishorts she was wearing doing absolutely nothing to hide them, and the off the shoulder stripped top suggested rounded breasts, making the final result a sight any men would turn to look at.

Ami's blush deepened, and she shook her head. Just because she was able to notice all these about the blonde, didn't mean she was going to fall into the same path her former self had gone into.

It didn't matter if Zoe was a beautiful woman or not. She could be a very handsome man, a walking, living Adonis, and still, Ami wouldn't be interested. Actually, she would probably completely freak out at the latest; extremely handsome men coming anywhere near made her even more uncomfortable than the whole dating idea, being unable to say or do anything but to just stay there, as red as a fresh tomato.

"Your usual?" Makoto asked to the blonde.

"You know, you really need to tell me your secret," Zoe said, smiling, "so that I can make it myself instead of coming here."

"Nonsense!" the brunette exclaimed, waving her hand around and laughing lightly.

"You have to tell me her secret," the blonde said, looking at her now.

She tilted her head to a side in a thoughtful manner then. "I could," Ami agreed, shrinking her shoulders when dark green eyes narrowed at her. "But I have to live with her," she pointed out, frowning at the possibility of one angry Amazon going after her.

One thing she had learned over the years was, never make Makoto angry. She was sweet and kind, but getting on her bad side was never a good idea; thought she would never do anything actually mean to any of her friends, her payback pranks were something Ami always tried to stay as far away from as she possibly could...

Makoto laughed and Zoe chuckled, shaking her head.

"Fair enough," the blonde mumbled, shaking her head. But then a frown came to her features. "Weather map handbook?" she asked curiously, reading the title of the book resting on the counter.

She blinked, surprised at the sudden change of subject and looking down at the book she had just recently bought. "Um, yes," she mumbled softly. "I'm just doing some research, so that I know what to look for…" she trailed off, now looking up and into soft emeralds, shrinking her shoulders a little. "Assuming you really can…"

The blonde smiled. "Oh, I can," she said, confidently, already guessing what Ami was talking about.

She tilted her head then, chewing on the inside of her cheek for a moment.

She had bought the book; she was at least considering the idea. And though she still didn't feel comfortable with it, it was worth at least looking into it. Maybe she could find another way around it, too.

And they had reached some sort of truce the other day. She still felt somewhat uncomfortable around the blonde, but she figured she was able to still sit and have a conversation with her. And, if she was serious about this tracking system thing -which of course she was-, then she really needed to talk to the green eyed woman; if Zoe was anything like the Zoisite she half remembered, then her input and own ideas were probably worth listening to.

They could move to a table and have a…

Blue eyes went wide opened and she turned to Shin, suddenly remembering the unanswered question.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" she apologized. Just because she didn't want to go out with him, didn't mean she had to be rude about it.

He smiled. "It's fine," he said, nodding his head and waving a hand around. "We can... talk later."

From the corner of her eyes she saw two blonde eyebrows going slightly up, either curiously or questionably, she wasn't sure, and the blush came rushing back to her cheeks. But as she nodded her head to Shin, ready to make her way to the far end of the shop and the empty table there, she secretly hoped there wouldn't be a later...

Makoto handed Zoe her order, and grabbing her own coffee and her book, she silently indicated the blonde to follow her, leading the way to a double table.

Placing her cup and book on the table, her bag followed; the books she kept in there spilling out as she did so, and again, two blonde eyebrows shot up, this time curiously.

"You have some heavy reading material in there," Zoe noted.

"Yes," she mumbled, nodding her head as she accommodated herself on the chair. "Like I said, I'm doing some research," she said. "I figured it'd be good to know what exactly I'm looking at..."

"Yeah, no, I get it," the blonde said, taking the seat right across from her and nodding her approval. "Sounds reasonable," she granted.

"So what did you have in mind?" she inquired.

Zoe frowned then, a bit doubtful. "Are you sure you really wanna do this?" she asked, slightly tilting her head to a side, blonde curls cascading down her shoulders as she did so.

Ami shrugged.

Yes, she hadn't been one hundred percent comfortable with the idea. At least, not with the methods Zoe had suggested. Granted, her original outraged reaction had had more to do with who had suggested it in the first pace, along with the unresolved issues between them, than with the actual idea in itself.

She was still apprehensive about it; there were many risks, and a bad outcome was something she didn't even want to think about. But, admittedly, it really was a good idea, and potentially helpful to any future attack from an enemy.

It could also serve as a good practice and reference when the time of Crystal Tokyo came; if she could come up with a way to monitor the city, then surely, she could do the same to the entire planet when the time came.

"It's worth to at least consider it," she granted.

"Alright," Zoe finally said, nodding. "There already are companies and universities all over the world studying the earth's ground and atmosphere," she began. "We just need to get that information, see if we can find readings that go back to the specific dates of an enemy attack so we can establish…"

"Just so we're clear," she said, one hand up in a silent, apologizing gesture as she interrupted her. "We're talking about hacking, right?" she asked, in a hushed voice, even though there was no real need for it; there were at the very back end of the shop, and it was fairly empty.

Still, she didn't want anyone accidentally listening to their conversation.

Zoe shrugged. "You make it sound like such a bad thing…"

"It is!" she exclaimed, only to get as red as a tomato the moment she realized she had said that a little too loud. "It is," she said again, lower this time. "And it's also illegal," she pointed out.

"You do realize we're talking about researches and machinery that include not only several different areas and personnel, but also the investment of billions of dollars, right?" the green eyed woman reasoned. "Unless you have a way to come up with all that money, and if you do, then please feel free to interrupt me and explain it to me, then I'm sorry, but I really don't see any other way," she explained.

She shifted in her seat, chewing on her lower lip as she considered it for a moment.

The blonde took a deep breath, reacomodating herself and resting her forearms on the table. Green eyes staring right into her sapphire ones. "Look, Mizuno..."

"Ami," she corrected her, frowning.

It felt odd, Zoe being so formal all the time. She knew how hard it was for foreigners to get used to honorifics and formalities. Though, to Zoe's credit, for an american, she seemed to be adjusting remarkably good, and her accent was so faint, it was barely even there at all. But still; Ami figured they were well past those already.

There was no need to be so formal. It felt odd, and considering they were going to be working together, or at least there was a possibility for it, then she figured there was no harm on calling each other by their first names.

Green eyes blinked at her, surprised, before a small smile made it to Zoe's lips. A smile that, for whatever reasons, made a blush come to her cheeks.

.-.

"You can call me Ami," the girl said, shrinking her shoulders in a cutely shy way.

The blush that came to the bluenette cheeks was positively adorable, and she had a really hard time fighting the smile off her face.

"Alright. Ami," she said, trying hard not to chuckle as the bluenette's cheeks turned even redder. Shaking her head and saving the girl from her embarrassment she got the conversation back on track. "Look, I'm sure that when this future I've been told about comes, Endymion, or even you, would have the authority to ask for records without much of an explanation as to why you want them in the first place," she reasoned. "But we're not there yet, and we still have a long way to go before that. In the meantime and as far as the rest of the world is concerned, he's just a doctor, and you're just another med student," she pointed out. "And we need that information if we really want to go through with this."

"I know, I know," the girl said, letting out a sigh.

"It's not like we'd be doing anyone any harm," she pointed out. "I mean, yes, technically, stealing is wrong. But it's not like we'd be taking someone else's work, claim it as our own and making a profit out of it," she reasoned. "Think of it as an involuntary, unknown contribution on their part to preserve the world and life as we know it."

Another sigh escaped the bluenette as she folded her hands in her lap, slightly fidgeting, and let her wide eyes wander around the shop for a moment before looking at her once more. "We could go to jail," she finally said in a low, whispering voice after a moment of silence.

She smiled, confident. "Only if we get caught," she said, shaking her shoulder.

Blue eyes went wide and opened then, and Zoe couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her.

"Don't worry, we won't get caught," she assured her, laughing lightly. "Universities don't really put that much effort into their security systems. They all have blind spots, and I can plant a bug without them even knowing it," she explained. "And even if they do find out, it would take them weeks to track it down, which is more than enough time for me to fix that small little problem and make the bug invisible again."

Mizuno… no, Ami. Ami shifted in her seat again, as if weighting the options. Which weren't that many to begin with.

"How do you know all this?" she inquired, arching a slightly suspicions eyebrow her way.

"I never broke into the FBI or robbed a bank, if that's what you're asking," she answered.

The girl blinked. "No, that's not…"

"I've done a few things before, here and there," she admitted, interrupting the bluenette before she could offer an apology that wasn't really needed. Not this time. "I needed a way to keep an eye on all of you while I was in the States, didn't I?"

The girl frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Did you know the rest of the world has no knowledge of the Senshi's existence?" she asked back, rhetorically. "You can spend an entire day surfing through the net and I can assure you, nothing will come up. And I do mean _nothing_."

"Really?" Ami asked, tilting her head to a side. "That's… odd…"

"Yeah," she agreed. "At first I just wanted to make sure I wasn't losing my mind and just imagining things," she explained. "And when I went online looking for local newspapers, the loops and holes in some stories seemed odd. So after a little trick or two, I had my answer and realized I wasn't losing my mind after all," she said. "It was kind of a relief, actually."

Curious, intrigued blue eyes looked at her, and she decided to explain a bit further. She figured the bluenette was smart enough to understand without her needing to stop at every two words to explain basic concepts.

So, she told her about her time fishing for information about the Senshi. She told her about the unusually complicated codes, the tricky loops, and how everything would constantly change and mutate. It almost seemed as if there was some sort of shield, of sphere all around certain, particular events and news that just wouldn't let the internet robots get into them for the rest of the world to read and find out about.

And, considering there were some magical factors involved, at least at some level, then the idea didn't seem that odd. Maybe it was the Ginzuishou acting in a way the Moon Princess was obviously unaware and unconscious of; maybe it was the Golden Crystal doing it, keeping the rest of the world blissfully unaware of certain facts which acknowledgment could do mankind no good, much like it had done before with Elysion; or maybe it was a combination of the two. Whichever the case, Zoe had dived into strangely hidden stories and behaving, constantly changing codes to know, there was most definitively something going on there.

It had been hard; quite the challenge. But if she had been able to do it, to enter every single Japanese newspaper's system to track down all and any story that had anything to do with the Senshi and reported attacks with no one knowing what she was doing, then she was sure she could do it again. Of course, she guessed universities, and specially private companies, would be a bit harder to crack than a newspaper; but she had more experience now, and she was confident enough in her own knowledge and abilities.

"I never knew about this," Ami said, frowning, intrigued about the entire thing.

Of course she didn't. Why would Ami be going online to search for any kind of information on the Senshi? Though Zoe did wonder if any other person living in Japan would get the same result she herself had gotten from every single search engine on the net.

"Well, I don't know if it's the same here," she said. "But, if you're in San Francisco and you try to google Sailor Moon, you'll get nothing but an endless list of entries about sailing, maybe something about the navy, all kinds of articles about the Moon, and something about some fictional English character named Sailor V," she finished, waving her hand around for good measure.

"Excuse me?" came a voice from behind her, making her turn around in her seat only to see Minako standing there, hands on her hips and looking all offended. "I Sailor V was not a fictional character!"

She turned back around in her seat, looking at the petite girl across from her. The question her raised eyebrow asked was silently answered by a small nod of the head from the bluenette, and she turned back to the offended looking blonde.

"Sorry," she apologized, shrinking her shoulders. "That's what Google said..."

Minako snorted, rolling baby blue eyes. "Well, Google doesn't know anything," she stated, dropping herself down on the empty chair next to her.

"What are you doing here?" Ami asked her friend. "I thought you had that photo shoot..."

"It got canceled when one of the models decided to throw up all over the place," the blonde answered. "It was one hell of a smelly mess, let me tell you," she then added, shuddering in disgust. But then she shook herself; her bright smile coming back to her lips as she rested her chin in her hand. "So, what are you guys up to?" she asked, curiously.

Without even waiting for an answer, the leader of the Senshi took the book resting on the table next to Ami's arm. She eyed the cover fast -so fast, Zoe had to wonder if the blonde even bothered on actually reading the title…-, opened the book and flipped through the pages with a boring look, and finally let out a sigh, closing the book and looking up to the petite bluenette.

"Seriously, Ames?" she asked. Her tone something in between a scolding teacher lecturing her pupil, and a disappointed mother talking to her child. "You're studying?"

The bluenette took a deep breath then, massaging her temples. "Mina…"

"You're _studying_," Minako repeated, accusingly, interrupting her friend. "I thought we agreed you wouldn't touch a book all summer unless it had something to do with that class of yours."

"I never agreed to that," Ami argued, shaking her head. "Just because you yell and gush and hoop all over the place and make a show out of it, doesn't mean people automatically and silently agree with everything you say."

Ami smiled, small and sweet and undeniably triumphant, and Zoe couldn't help but chuckle at the small speech and the blinking, half offended, all the way surprise expression that fell on the Senshi of Love's pretty little face.

"Oh, great," the blonde complained, now rolling her baby blue eyes at her. "Go ahead, laugh."

"I'm sorry," Zoe apologized, though another chuckle escaped her

"Shame on you," the venusian accused. "Sitting here when there's a beautiful sunny day outside, and Makoto is standing right there," she said, waving a hand to the general direction of the counter where, indeed, one tall brunette had a smile on her face as she followed the gesturing blonde's every move with amused green eyes, "and you could be chatting the day away and, oh, I don't know, having some fun?, instead of being here, _studying_!" she finished her one breath long line by smacking the book on the table in an overly dramatic way. "Gosh! What is it with you, smart people!" she exclaimed, actually managing to make it sound somewhat insulting.

"Minako…" Ami started to say, but Zoe lifted a hand up, silently interrupting her.

"You know, we were just talking," she pointed out, still unable to fight the amused smile off, as she tried to defend the bluenette -and herself- from the baby blue eyed blonde's accusing words.

Not that she was completely off, but still.

"Whatever," Minako grunted, rolling her eyes. But then a bright, and for whatever reason, kind of frightening smile broke into her face. "I know exactly what you two need," she announced, proudly.

"Oh, boy…" she heard Ami mumbling, as the petite woman massaged her temples with one hand.

"A night out!" the blonde exclaimed, happily. "We are going out! And you are going to have some fun!" she ordered, pointing one long finger at the bluenette. "The guys can come along, too," she then added as a second thought, now looking at her.

"A night out?" she repeated, kind of confused now.

"Yeah!" Minako exclaimed, nodding her head. "You know, a little dancing, a little drinking, being young and beautiful and alive!" she exclaimed again, now doing a little dance in her seat, arms up.

And Zoe chuckled. She had to give it to Kun; the Senshi of Love really was far more buoyant than her own past self.

"Mina…"

"No," Minako interrupted Ami before she could even say anything at all.

"But…"

"Ah, ah!"

"Just…"

"Zip it, already!" she ordered, standing up from her chair. "You're coming, and that's it!" she exclaimed. "And so are you, little miss american… nerd!" she exclaimed, obviously not finding a better word.

Blinking at the accusing finger practically shoved at her face, a smug smile made it to her lips as she looked up and into baby blue eyes. "You know, thanks to certain TV shows and lovable characters, calling someone a nerd is no longer considered an insult," she pointed out.

In any case, it was the truth; she was a nerd. Technology geek, comic book reader and avid collector, sci-fi movie lover and console video game player, all the way.

Zoe chuckled to herself; she was a walking stereotype.

Minus the thick glasses and the lack of sense of style, of course. She was one proud, vain -sometimes bordering on narcissistic- nerd.

"Whatever!" Minako exclaimed again, rolling her eyes. "Friday night, we're going out. And you," she said, now looking down on the bluenette girl, "are going to have some fun, even if it's the last thing I do."

With that, the blonde turned around and, waving her fingers in goodbye to a laughing brunette behind the counter, she walked out of the shop and into the sunny day.

Green eyes blinked after the empty space the venussian blonde had left behind, before she turned back to look into sapphire colored eyes. She frowned, tilting her head to a side.

"Should I be worried, here?" she asked, pointing her thumb back and to the general direction of the door.

"I'm not sure," Ami mumbled.

She frowned, tilting her head to a side and considering it for a moment, before a long, defeated sigh escaped the petite bluenette.

"You probably should," she finally admitted, shrinking her shoulders.

Zoe groaned.

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**A.N.:** It is my belief that japanese people address foreign people by their first name (you know, like Haruka and Michiru never call Elza by her last name). I think it's a common thing. I may be mistaken though, and if I am, then I apologize. I'm not that familiar with honorifics, and since I'm not quite sure of how to correctly use them, I don't. So let's just assume the characters do it without me implying it. You know, just like amusing they're talking in japanese.


	25. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer:** all and any Sailor Moon character belongs to Naoko Takeuchi. I just own the idea for this story. So don't sue me, but please don't steal either!

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**24**

As it turned out, Ami's prediction was wrong.

Of course, the night was still young, and there was still time for one particular blonde to try and turn the hang out into a wild mess -probably a funny one, but still a mess. But the blonde in question seemed to be happy by just sitting there, wrapped around a pale little strapless dress and tucked under Kun's protective arm, as the two sat at a corner of the wide sofa.

They were sitting around one of the wide low tables, black leather sofas all around, on the VIP section of a night club Minako had got them all into. Masato was to her right, all handsome in his gray silk shirt and black dressing pants. Unlike their friend and leader, he was not trying to hide his girlfriend from all and any man's eyes, but rather willing to show her off proudly.

Not that she blamed the guy. Makoto did look quite beautiful in that light pink halter top with opened back and pencil black pants that seemed to be painted over her legs. Pink peep-toe sandals decorated her feet, adding a good four inches to her already tall form, as her usual ponytail had been replace by a carefully messy bun at the top of her head.

To her left, Jei's black shirt contrasted with his blonde hair, bringing sky blue eyes out. He looked relax, taking sips from his stout beer and resting against the back of the sofa, but she knew better. The furtive glances he would throw ever so often in the direction of one raven haired beauty not escaping her.

Again, she didn't blame the guy. The back with red trims little bustier strapless dress did absolutely nothing to hide Rei's figure; not her curves, certainly not her legs, and the insinuation of generous breasts the dress suggested was definitively an eye-catcher. And as she saw the raven young woman flickering a lock of velvet like hair off her shoulder, crossing her legs as she laughed at something Makoto said, she had to wonder if maybe the Senshi of Fire was torturing one poor blonde man on purpose.

Sharing the sofa with Rei, to Jei's left, wrapped in a pristine white, one shoulder asymmetric tunic tee that whispered wanders and promises Zoe knew better than to think of, deep blue minishorts that left long, well shaped legs naked and exposed, and matching blue four heeled pumps, Ami seemed to be quietly contemplating whether she really wanted to finally take a sip and taste the drink resting in her hand or not. There even was a small little frown decorating her face, lips slightly perched to a side, as wide blue eyes, framed by naturally long eyelashes that now were as black as night with mascara and the ever so slight hint of eyeshadow, were glued to the reddish content of her glass, as she softly swirled the liquid around.

"Right, Ami?" Makoto's question made the petite bluenette blinked up at her and away from the still untouched drink.

"What?" she asked, a light blush coming to her cheeks as her own question made it quite clear she had obviously not been paying any attention to the conversation.

"I was just telling them about what we were talking today, remember?" the brunette offered. "About how nice it would be to go to the beach?"

"Oh!" Ami exclaimed, blinking a few times. "Right."

"Would you stop staring at that and drink it already?" Minako asked, rolling her baby blue eyes at her friend.

Again, Ami frowned. "What's in it, again?"

"It's a cherry spritzer," the blonde offered. "It's sweet and cold and tastes like cherry. You won't even taste the alcohol," she stated. "Just drink it. You'll love it, trust me."

Despite Minako's words -or maybe because of them-, Ami still didn't look so sure, as she stared back at her drink. The frown coming back to her soft features.

"We could all just drive there," Makoto continued on with the previous topic of conversation. "You know, spend the day relaxing and sunbathing. Doing nothing and enjoying every second of it," she finished, waving a hand around and smiling widely at the prospect.

"Or we could go the beach house," Jei proposed. "Spend the weekend."

"That's a great idea!" Minako exclaimed.

Zoe blinked at that, turning to look at Jei with a frown upon her face. "Wait, hold on. Rewind," she said, gesturing with her finger. "Beach house?"

"Yeah," the blonde said. "Down in Araihama."

Again, she blinked. "You have a beach house," she repeated, incredulous. "How loaded are you, exactly?"

"You'd be surprised," Kun murmured, right before taking a sip from his whiskey.

The blonde shrugged. "My father bought it a few years ago, right before he died. I just inherited it," he said, as if justifying himself. "I only kept it because I thought it would make for a nice getaway. But I haven't actually done that yet," he said. "It's too much of a big house to go there alone."

"I'd go with you," she stated, firmly, hand up and to her chest for good measure and not caring a bit about the almost imploring tone to her voice; so she was not the summer kind of gal, so what?

Unless there was a pool, or a really nice beach -preferably deserted, but as long as it was not crowded, she was fine with it-, she really hated summer. It involved being sticky and sweaty and incredibly hot, and she much preferred the colder season; gloves, warm boots, oversized sweaters with huge turtleneck and knitted hat with a pompom on it all the way.

She could barely wait for winter to come and pay a visit to the city of Tokyo. She would probably resent it after a particularly bad cold later on, but right now, the idea of everything being tinted white with snow seemed wonderful to her.

"Me too!" Minako exclaimed, excitedly.

The look on Kun's face spoke volumes; if looks could kill, Jei would be a very dead man right about that instant.

She chuckled, shaking her head and turning back to the blonde -could be dead at any moment- man. "Why didn't you tell me about this beach house of yours?"

Jei shrugged. "Didn't come up."

"Didn't…" she trailed off, blinking. "Unbelievable!" she exclaimed, raising both hands up in the air.

She had been complaining about the suffocating heat, saying quite openly how the one thing she absolutely missed about living in San Francisco was going down to the beach whenever she wanted to. She knew beaches nearby the city were not exactly nice ones, and although she was able to go around the city without getting lost, she wasn't that familiar with the rest of the country. Namely, she had absolutely no idea of what awaited right outside the lines of Tokyo.

"How big is it?" Rei asked, frowning as she and Ami exchanged looks. "I mean…"

"It's big," Jei assured her, already guessing that, if they were considering spending a weekend there, the raven haired beauty was probably concerned about sleeping arrangements. "No one's been there in quite a while, so you know… there's gonna be some cleaning needed to be done before any of the relaxing and sunbathing can happen," he said, using Makoto's words. "And there's gonna have to be some room sharing, too."

"That's not a problem," Masato put in, encircling an arm around his girlfriend's shoulders and winking at her, making the girl blush as bright as a Christmas' tree right before she elbowed him on the ribs.

Jei chuckled. "That's what I thought," he said. "We may have to be bunkmates," he then added, turning to look at her.

She shook a shoulder. "As long as you promise you don't snore."

"I don't."

"I wouldn't take his word on that if I were you," Kun advised, giving one of his rare, true, amused smiles. A small one, but a smile all the same.

"Oh, it's fine," she said, grinning and waving her hand around. "If he's lying, I can always smother him with the pillow."

Everyone laughed as the blonde man gave her a wide, brilliant, mocking smile that made her narrow her eyes to him in return. But when he chuckled, shaking his head and slightly tilting his head to a side, his tussled blonde hair falling into blue eyes, Zoe knew her sacred four hours of sleep would be snore free.

Just as Masato was about to order another round of drinks, the royal couple made an entrance. All eyes on the VIP section turned to look at the newly arrived, and a small, proud smile came to her lips.

They made quite a pair and were hard not to look at, beautiful and elegant in their simplicity. Him, in his black dressing shirt and matching pants, black leather belt low on his hips and impeccable black shoes, and her in her pink dress, V neck line and empire waist followed by a flowing miniskirt; there was just something regal, something undeniable magical about them as they stood there, holding hands and smiling to their friends.

"Sorry we're late," the Prince apologized, as he gently guided Usagi to the empty spot on the sofa Ami and Rei were occupying before sitting right next to her himself.

"It's alright," Makoto said. "We were just talking about going to Araihama."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea!" Usagi exclaimed, smiling widely. "When?" she then asked, excited.

"Next weekend?" Jei offered, frowning lightly as he turned to Mamoru. "You think you can clear your schedule?"

The Prince frowned lightly in a thoughtful manner. "I'll have to change shifts and..."

"Oh, please, Mamo, please?" Usagi begged; hands coming together and big blue eyes wide, opened and pleading.

"I'm sure I can arrange something," he said, tenderly smiling down to his Princess. "Can I get back to you?" he then asked, looking up at Jei.

"Yeah, sure," the blonde agreed. "Just let me know when it'd work for you."

"We can work the details later," Minako put in; a wide, brilliant smile coming to her glossy lips as a new song started to play. "Now it's time to get this party started!" she exclaimed, standing up. "Come on, girls!" she said, waving one hand around and walking up to where Ami was sitting.

It was a miracle the petite woman didn't spill the reddish drink all over herself as Minako took her hands in hers, jerking her up and then unceremoniously dragging her. Makoto, Rei and Usagi followed, getting up as well, and the happy bunch of gorgeous women made the way down the stairs and to the dance floor.

Mamoru and Kun followed as well. The first, probably just to indulge the Moon rabbit, judging by that big eyed look she sent his way, and share a dance or two with her. But she knew Kun wasn't getting down there to dance at all; he was going to play bodyguard.

"You guys coming?" Masato asked, getting up as well and looking down on the remaining blondes.

She was just about to decline, more than happy to just stay there, sitting on that sofa and drinking her wine, when Jei stood up from his seat.

"Come on," he said, hitting her knee with his and tilting his head to a side, signaling to the stairway.

She groaned lowly. "Fine," she grunted.

Taking her glass with her, if only to have something to do while down there, she followed the two men down the stairs.

As predicted, Kun was standing to a side of the group, frown in place and successfully keeping away any man who would dare looking in the way of one dancing blonde. At least he didn't seem willing to rip the eyes off of any of those men, and Zoe thought it as a good sign; specially considering the guy's overprotective, sometimes quite possessive, jealous tendencies.

While Minako forced one petite blue haired young woman to move every bone in her body, Rei danced with one earthen Prince, and Masato took it upon himself to be the ladies' man of the night, dancing with both Makoto and Usagi and making them spin around and laugh.

She wasn't much of a party girl, and the wine she still held in her hand gave her a good excuse to stay to a side, resting against a column. She wasn't much of a drinker either; just the occasional beer, maybe a glass of good wine. Much like the one she was drinking now, which again, provided a good excuse not to dance and make a fool out of herself.

"So," Jei's voice got her attention as he came to stand right beside her, slightly tilting his head towards her and raising his voice just to be heard over the loud music. "I heard you patched things up with Ami."

She blinked up to him, once, before her eyes made it to the dancing figure of Mizuno Ami.

She had somehow managed to slip away from the venusian blonde, only to be caught by Masato. The tall man kept on making small, silly little dancing moves and taking her hand, gently but surely making her spin, successfully making the bluenette giggle, a bit of an embarrassed blush tinting her cheeks as she danced along with him. That was, until one petite Moon rabbit engulfed Ami's form in what Zoe was fast becoming to acknowledge as one of Usagi's 'takes the air out of you' bear hugs, making the med student laughed wholeheartedly.

She couldn't hear her laughter; the music was too loud. But something in the way she laughed, face tilting up, and the smile illuminating her face, as the lights played with her eyes, making them seem almost transparent for a moment, caught Zoe's eye and attention.

She resembled the girl Zoe remembered in some ways, and yet she was so different. And there was something about her...

Not in the past life, almost lovers, residual sentiment kind of way; she honestly didn't believe in that. She didn't believe in magical, destined love and all that sentimental, taken out of a fairytale, rubbish other women craved for. She believed in choices, in choosing her own path; it was all about choices, and she had made the completely conscious choice of not following her past-self's steps and mistakes -with a particularly strong accent on the last part. But there really was something about her; she was just so… intriguing.

For a woman who could so easily create and manipulate ice, she was everything but cold. She was warm and kind and honest, though sometimes it seemed as if the fog she was able to create engulfed her entirely, making her impossible to reach and read and see. She was as transparent as she was unreadable; a woman-child, pure and innocent and complex, and simply puzzling.

She shook her head, clearing her thoughts and turning back to Jei. "Yeah, you know," she said, shaking her shoulder. "I figured I owed her an explanation. And a well overdue apology."

She added the second part as an afterthought, and the chuckle that escaped the blonde man had no humor in it, despite the smile now decorating his features.

"I can relate to that," he said, shaking his head.

Yes, of course he could. They all could. The only difference between them and herself was, unlike them, she had no interest on building a relationship with the mercurian young woman, even if Jei had yet to do anything about it or even admit it to anyone. But she knew better than to believe his pretended easy going though not interested act, and the other two had gone as far as to pick up where they left.

Granted, she knew them well enough to know, they didn't believe in magical love and destined lovers either. At least not when applied to themselves; the Prince and his Princess were a different matter entirely, and in any case, it was plain obvious they loved each other for who they were this time around, regardless of their past lives. And she knew it was the same with both Kunzite and Nephrite. She seriously doubt a relationship based solely on what had once been a millennia ago could last longer than maybe a couple of months; the excitement, the wrongly placed happiness, the heat and the passion could only last so long if there was nothing else to back it up. Like not really knowing with whom you're spending your time with, or worse, having absolutely nothing in common other than a shared life, thousands of years ago.

It just wouldn't work out; there had to be more than that for the three couples to have lasted this long. But, again, unlike them, she had no interest on even finding that something else. Other than a business based relationship, she was not interested in having anything even remotely romantic happening between the mercurian young woman and herself.

Yes, she was intriguing and puzzling. But just because, intellectually speaking, Mizuno Ami was most certainly one very interesting young woman to be around of, it didn't automatically turn her into lover material. Not by a long shot.

"So how much did you tell her?" Jei asked, curiously. "I mean..."

She shrugged. "All of it," she answered. "Or at least what I remember. I may have skipped a detail or two, though," she added, swirling the wine in her glass and starting at it vaguely. "No need to get into those, right?" she reasoned, taking a sip.

"Of course not," he agreed, nodding his head.

His eyes landed on one raven haired beauty, and she followed his gaze.

"You told her."

It wasn't a question, and there was no reproach to her words. It was simply a statement, an affirmation, and she knew there was no need for her to explain any further for him to understand her statement. And indeed, when blue eyes looked back into her green ones, the silence that extended between the two for a moment confirmed her suspicions.

It explained Rei's slight though significant change towards the blonde man. Although her defenses and guard were still on and up high, and her attitude towards Jei was far from being friendly, at least she was no longer ignoring him completely, acting as if he was not even there at all.

"She saw," he finally said, shrinking his shoulders.

She nodded. Well, that explained the out of the blue, completely unexpected hug back at the Temple, when she first met them all. And considering the Senshi of Fire had telepathic abilities of her own, it wasn't that surprising.

"I just filled in the blanks and… She just wanted to understand…"

"It's alright," she interrupted him, not really needing nor wanting an apology.

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't be. It's fine."

"She won't tell anyone."

"I know."

She really didn't know the raven haired woman that much, or any of them for that matter, but that, she knew. Instinctively, almost unreasonably, she just knew she could trust the Miko with this one secret, just like she had known she could trust in Ami's silence. And just like with Ami, maybe Rei had needed to know, to really know, in order to finally let go of the past and move on.

Too bad it wasn't as easy for her…

For her, knowing didn't provide any kind of comfort or closure. Nothing ever would, not really. Not fully.

"Did it help?" she asked, curiously looking up at him. "Her knowing, did it help smooth things over?"

Jei shrugged. "Well, she's not treating Kun and Masato as if they're on probation anymore," he pointed out, and she chuckled.

Yes, she knew all about one particular Miko keeping her distance from everyone but Mamoru. She was never impolite and didn't completely ignore them, like she did with Jei, but it was obvious she had her reservations and was only nice for her friends' sake.

"So it _didn't _help," she added for him.

He seemed to consider her words for a moment, before that radiant, confident, almost childish like grin came to his features. "Only the things that are harder to achieve are the ones worth aiming for," he said, in an extremely out of character, philosophical way.

And when he took the glass out of her hands, carelessly depositing it over the speaker slash made up scenario some people were dancing on, his smile widening ever so slightly as he turned back to her and took her hand in his, she knew she should be worried.

"Like making you dance with me, for instance."

Green eyes widened in pure horror. "What? No!" she exclaimed, too surprised to put much of a fight as the blonde man dragged her all the way to where the rest of the gang was dancing. "I don't dance."

"Yes you do," he argued, making her spin as if to prove a point.

"Fine!" she grunted, narrowing her eyes at him once she faced him again. "I don't dance with _men_," she then stated, firmly.

That wasn't exactly true. But she was sure dancing with her father when she was a kid and he would let her step onto his feet and carry her as they waltz to one of Frank Sinatra's song didn't count, and neither did past lives.

"Then pretend I'm a hot chick," he joked, laughing as he once again made her spin around.

Vaguely, she wondering exactly how many tequila shots would be needed for her to do as he just said. And then she laughed at the rather weird mental image that jumped into her head just as Jei masterly guided her movements, making her fall right into the dance and follow his steps.


	26. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer:** all and any Sailor Moon character belongs to Naoko Takeuchi. I just own the idea for this story. So don't sue me, but please don't steal either!

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**25**

The strawberry flavored drink was good, she would admit that much.

But she knew better than to trust its sweetness, specially when taking under consideration the original intention of said drink being in her hand at all. So when Makoto came and without much of a word took the drink off her hands, taking a long sip and obviously enjoying the cold sweetness of it before handing it back to her, she didn't even think about complaining; three drinks were two too many, and she certainly didn't mind sharing the content the glass Minako had all but forced into her hand with others.

Resting against a column for a moment, she grimaced lightly, letting out a soft groan. Minako really knew what she was doing when it came to clothes and makeup. And though she was eternally and secretly grateful for the fact that her -sometimes too crazy- blonde friend hadn't forced her into one of her minuscule little party dresses, she was really regretting agreeing to the shoes.

She was fairly used to high heels. Not really her first choice as a part of her every day wardrobe, she was used to wearing them on certain occasions and celebrations, and even her Fuku came with those. Only, her Mercury boots were not four inches heeled, platform included, ankle-breakers, and if she could fight, run, jump in them, then surely dancing with an enthusiastic Masato, who just happened to be really good at such activity, including having a bit too much fun spinning her around while wearing the aforementioned ankle-breakers -not that he was either responsible or aware of that fact-, wouldn't be a problem.

Sadly for her, that was not the case and she was not wearing her Mercury boots. And the ankle-breakers were set on torturing her poor feet; she was sure there would be blisters and she wouldn't be able to walk properly for at least two days.

Letting out a sigh, her eyes traveled through the dance floor, landing on the man that had made her dance her little heart out. He was still dancing, of course -she had to wonder where he got all that energy from. But with Makoto all the way over to the bar, Minako and Kunzite with her as they ordered some drink or another, and Rei and Usagi having gone to pay a visit to the ladies' room just a few moments ago -a visit that would probably last more than just a few minutes, Ami was sure; the waiting line alone would make sure of that-, and for obvious reasons not interested on asking neither Jei nor Mamoru for a dance, the tall, brunette man had found in one green eyed Shitennou his newest dancing partner. Slash victim.

With a mocking smile decorating her face, she made him turn around. And with equally mocking movements he complied, taking his sweet time to finish his turn, making effeminate, downright ridiculous movements, hips swinging side to side included.

Zoe laughed. Face up and her body slightly tilting backwards in what was probably a loud, hard to contain laughter. A deep, rich one, Ami was sure, even though both the music and the distance didn't let her hear it.

He laughed along as well, and taking both her hands in his, he jerked her in and towards him. A smile dancing on their faces and laughter still lingering in their eyes, they continued with their dancing, following the current song's beat.

One particularly too fast spin -the same kind Ami had experienced herself less than twenty minutes ago-, made Zoe tripped over her own feet, coming dangerously close to land face flat on Masato's strong chest if not for his fast reflexes and his arms going around her and steadying her. And then the blonde promptly burst out laughing, not at all ashamed and resting against Masato's chest all the same as her entire body shook with laughter.

The handsome brunette laughed too, whispering something into Zoe's ear only to make her laugh even harder, and a smile made it to Ami's lips; it was nice seeing them like this. After everything that had happened -mainly, Zoisite trying and actually succeeding on killing Nephrite-, seeing the both of them like this, carefree and joyful, it was a rather nice change.

She honestly couldn't remember ever seeing them quite like this back during the Silver Millennium. She had known they were close, of course. The close, deep, well beyond duty friendship all four Shitennou and one Prince shared had been a well known fact back then; though blood said different, they were brothers in arms and in heart. But still, Ami couldn't quite remember ever seeing Nephrite and Zoisite ever acting like this, so full of laughter and playful, like brother and sister.

Obvious reasons as to why that was aside, of course, Ami mused to herself; even with Zoisite being the little _brother_, it would have seemed odd, at the very least, for Nephrite -or any of them, really- to be dancing with Zoisite.

But that was then, and the here and now was entirely different. And if Zoe was even remotely considering hiding her true gender, then the choice of clothes for the night was entirely wrong.

While some -very confident on their masculinity- men had no problem on wearing some sort of heeled boots, the four inches heeled, peep-toe black booties were most definitively not something any men would ever wear, let alone know how to walk on. Except for a transvestite, or maybe David Bowie in the 70's.

The denim pencil pants that could just as easily be just paint over otherwise bare legs, hung low on round hips and marked a small, rounded, tight buttocks and rock hard looking thighs. And if that alone was not enough of a clear statement of a female body, then the fitting denim shirt surely did the trick. The last few buttons were undone, presenting a generous cleavage that ended right over the valley of her breasts, the tight material and the benefits of being young playing their part.

It was a bold outfit, Ami thought. Such a cleavage would look trashy and quite slatternly on anyone else; she wasn't even sure Minako would be able to pull it off, and the blonde had the ability to make even a potato bag seem like the epitome of youthful -and tasteful- sensuality. But on the green eyed Shitennou, the combination of it all, the fitting pans and shirt, the generous cleavage, the high heels and the ponytail at the back of her neck, with blonde ringlets escaping it and falling down her neck and shoulders, the faded black eyeshadow framing green orbs; it just suited her. The end result wasn't slatternly or trollopy, and it added a certain air to her final appearance that just suited her.

Switching from foot to foot to somehow try to relieve the painful pressure on her toes and heels, she noticed the necklace around Zoe's neck. The same one she had seen her wearing ever since Ami met her, and it looked kind of familiar…

"You look like you could use a chair."

The unexpected though very accurate comment voiced so close to her made her jump in her resting spot against the column. Her feet resenting the movement immediately, she silently thanked the darkness all around when a burning red came rushing to her cheeks, only now realizing she had been staring at the dancing, laughing blonde, scrutinizing her.

But as she turned to the voice's owner, both her embarrassment and all and any regrets about the choice of shoes for the night were forgotten as she looked into familiar blue eyes.

"Ryo!" she exclaimed; an honestly happy smile spreading on her features, despite the pain on her poor feet. "What a surprise!"

The smile on Ryo's face mirrored her own as he took both her hands in his in warm greeting.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, unable and unwilling to hide her surprise and her excitement.

She knew he was supposed to be in Germany. He was finishing his studies there, building himself up a rather promising career as an architect and already working on a major studio.

They reminded friends, and e-mails were exchanged every so often. So of course she was surprised of seeming him there; he hadn't mention anything about coming back to Tokyo.

He shrunk his shoulders then, burying his hands in his jean pockets. "I knew you'd be here," he admitted.

It was not the words by themselves, or even the implied admission that he still had the ability to see the future, that got her both curious, and slightly on guard; it was the tone to his voice, along with the way thick brown eyebrows came together.

"Is everything alright?" she asked, concern slowly but steadily growing within her.

A new enemy was the last thing they needed right now.

With the Shitennou along side with them, she knew they could only get stronger. But she was also very aware of the fact that they had never been on a fight while on the same team. Heck, they haven't even trained together. Something, she knew, Kun was everything but pleased with; the tanned man had been making plans to try and find a place both big and secure enough for them to train.

She didn't want to think lowly of any of them, but she wasn't even sure where they stood when it came to fighting skills. They had just started to regain their true powers, and she knew by personal experience how hard it could be to get used to one's own strength and abilities while having to face an enemy at the same time…

"I was just about to ask you that myself," Ryo answered her, forcing her off her train of thoughts.

She noticed his blue eyes moving away from hers, and she followed his gaze until her own eyes landed on one specific, still being forced to dance, blonde woman.

"Is that… that's really her… isn't it?"

"Zoisite, yes," she answered, nodding her head. "That's her."

Again, two thick eyebrows came together in worry, and it wasn't hard for Ami to realize why he was so apprehensive; his meeting the Shitennou had been far from pleasant.

"It's alright, Ryo," she said. "She's not evil anymore."

His frowning gaze turned to her then, doubtful, and a small, understanding smile made it to her lips as she tilted her head to a side.

"Is that why you came?" she asked, as softly as all the noise around allowed her to. "Because you knew she was here?"

"I'm here to visit my family for the summer, too," he said, slightly shaking his shoulders, not denying he had been worrying about the green eyed Shitennou's return.

"I appreciate the gesture, but there's nothing for you to worry about," she assured him.

Funny how she was defending Zoe now, when only a week ago, she had been on the exact same position Ryo was in right now. Only, slightly different; for him there was no past, no betrayal, and Zoisite was nothing but the Dark Kingdom's lackey, and nothing else. He had never known what the Shitennou had once been, and it was easy for Ami to see how it could be hard for him to even consider the possibility of her being anything but the wicked, backstabbing enemy they had once met.

It wasn't completely unheard of, their enemies having a change of heart. It had happened before. In fact, it was what Sailor Moon had always aimed and stood for; love and compassion and understanding winning above all else.

They never killed their enemies; they were the ones doing that -Beryl to Jadeite, Zoisite to Nephrite, the Wiseman to Sapphire, Mimet to Eudial… the list went on and on…-, and they had always tried to change their enemies' heart. They did destroy their monsters, though. Which, more often than not, were originally object that were not supposed to be animated in the first place and only did that because of the dark energy embedded in them. But if a soul could be healed and rescued from the darkness, then by all means, they would try to do that.

"It really is alright," she said, offering him a reassuring, confident smile. "Like I said, she's not evil anymore, and… she's actually a nice person," she admitted.

She smiled at the irony of the situation, but it didn't make her words any less true. She didn't know the blonde that well, but she seemed like a nice person, and there really was no reason for Ryo to worry about her being back; she trusted Setsuna's words on that.

And even if there was, there was nothing he could do about it.

He let out a sigh. "If you say so," he finally said, shrinking his shoulders. But then a small, honest smile came to his lips. "So, how have you been?"

.-.

It lasted barely a second, but he noticed.

She hit his arm, laughing at his joke, shook her head and adverted her filled with mirth eyes away. And then her smile faltered.

She was fast to recover, and her smile was firm and wide once more as she turned back to him, continuing with their dancing as if nothing happened, but had noticed. Just like he noticed her relaxed, happy attitude and amusement were completely gone, even if she was trying to disguise that.

Something was distracting her. And as he noticed green orbs wandering off and away, back to that same spot somewhere behind him, a barely there frown wanting to break into her features, surprise and something else he couldn't quite pinpoint flashing through her eyes -concern? Disappointment, maybe? He wasn't sure…-, he knew she was troubled.

Taking her hand once more, he made her turn, and in a swift move, he switched places with her, trying to search for whatever it was that had changed her mood so fast. And then he saw it.

He thought he recognized him. If he remembered correctly, he was an old friend of Ami's, but he wasn't sure; the distance, the constantly changing lights and half darkness wouldn't let him make the features clearly. And really, it was hard to fully recognize someone from a picture he had once seen on the girls' flat.

Turning his gaze back to his little sister, he hummed to himself.

Now, why would Zoe be troubled about that boy talking to one cute little Ami? Could it be that, maybe, her one hundred percent sure lack of interest in one blue haired Senshi wasn't actually that sure? The stars did say something about love bounds, brighter and deeper than before, but he had just assumed they were talking about the future King and Queen…

_Interesting_, he thought.

There was a teasing comment burning at the tip of his tongue, but he shoved it back to where it came from. Knowing her, any comment of any nature, teasing or otherwise, regarding a possible unchaste interest on her part towards some -very specific- pretty lady would result in her folding back and hiding away for a ridiculously long time. Zoisite had locked herself up in the Palace's library for almost two months, two whole, long months, stubbornly and miraculously avoiding all human contact, to the point of going to the kitchens herself to fetch her food, avoiding running into maids and guards alike, and somehow even managing to hide from the three of them and the Prince himself, hiding behind thick books and blueprints and whatnot when Jadeite had had the brilliant idea of pointing out how green eyes would light up at the sight of one specific Senshi.

For such a brilliant person, her ability to be quite childish and ridiculously stubborn sometimes, swimming in the waters of denial and completely unable to see the obvious with her own two eyes was surprising. And just plain stupid. And considering modern technology, takeout, and the chance to buy anything any person could need online without ever setting a hair out on the street, the possibility of her not leaving her apartment at all for that exact amount of time shall he follow Jadeite's example was something he didn't want to risk.

It was too soon to tell, anyway, and he much rather sit back and silently enjoy the show.

Makoto, Minako and Kun came back and rejoined them, and Kun said something to Zoe, distracting her. But only momentarily, as her eyes flickered back to one blue haired woman again for the briefest of moments.

Letting his hands go around his girlfriend's waist, he smiled to himself. Yes, he much rather sit back and enjoy the show; it promised to be quite interesting.

.-.

She made her way back from the ladies' room, scanning the floor with her eyes and trying to spot a friendly head. It was fairly dark all around, with the flashing lights not making it any easier, but she was confident in knowing that, no matter how many people were around and regardless of there not being much light for her to see, there weren't that many men she felt drawn to, whose auras and very souls called out to her.

Green eyes surveyed the dance floor, but before she could spot a familiar face to match the always present tug in her chest, her eyes landed on someone else.

She gulped.

Would he remember? God, she hoped not…

She gulped again when he started making his way towards her, but she shook herself fast enough, putting on her best formal, poker face, gentle though unreadable smile neatly in place. She had no reasons to believe the boy remembered her at all; Rei's grandfather didn't remember a thing, after all, and he had all but welcomed 'his granddaughter's friend' with opened arms and a warm smile.

She chose to ignore the fact that there were legendary, magical crystals working their magic on all of them. Who needed masks when there was magic to count on to keep their identities secret from the rest of the world, just like it had been a millennia ago?

If anything, the boy could have seen her talking to Ami's friends and one point or another, and could easily be wondering who she was. That was a perfectly valid, reasonable explanation; one that Zoe couldn't make herself believe.

"Hi," she said, hating the way her own voice sounded unsure and trembling even to her own ears. "You're Ami's friend, right?" she asked, going for the friendly approach. "I'm Zoe Calhoun," she introduced herself, extending her hand out to him in as friendly of a tone and manner as she could muster.

He took her hand, shaking it. "Yeah, I know exactly who you are," he stated, simply and bluntly. "Ami says you're all good now," he commented, leaving the 'but I don't believe it' part hanging in the air.

So, he did remember.

And, apparently, he still had the power to foresee the future, too.

Inwardly, she patted herself on the back as she firmly kept his gaze in what, she was sure, was a stoic face that would make Kunzite proud. She didn't want to come off as cold, aloof and heartless, but she was not about to let him or anyone else judge her and patronize her. Aside from her brothers and the Prince himself, of course. And the Senshi; they had a right to judge her if they chose to.

But this boy? Yes, she felt sorry for him and for what had happened to him, for what she had -involuntary- put him through. But he didn't even know the half of it; he had no right to judge her.

So she held his gaze, unwilling to budge.

She let out a sigh, wandering her eyes around for a moment and finally coming to the conclusion that an apology was in order, when he stopped her before she could even open her mouth again.

"Stay away from her."

She blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Stay away from her," he said again, firmly and with a stern frown upon his face.

Was it her, or he just sounded like a zealous boyfriend?

Was he Ami's boyfriend?

She shook her head as the thought popped into her mind. So what if he was? He was no one to be ordering her around like that, and boyfriend or not, he had no right on telling her such a thing in the first place.

"Look, pal…"

"Is everything alright?" Ami's sweet voice somehow managed to float above the loud music, getting her attention and making her swallow the words burning at the tip of her tongue, turning her face to a side instead only to find the petite bluenette standing right next to her and curiously -and somewhat worriedly- looking at the both of them.

"Yeah," the boy was fast to say, plastering a smile on his previously frowning face. "Zoe here was just telling me about life in San Francisco," he said, surprising her out of her mind at the mention of her hometown. "I think I might go there someday," he continued; his previous demeanor completely gone now, being both talkative and friendly instead. "I'd sure love to see the Golden Gate Bridge and walk down Lombard street."

"And take a cable car ride," she added for him, almost automatically.

And when big blue eyes looked up at her, the relief in there at finding them talking civilly evident, she decided to play along. One small, tiny little white lie couldn't hurt.

Ami smiled then, agreeing to her comment and adding one of her own about the matter. The nonexistent previous conversation continued on smoothly, soon shifting from San Francisco to sights worth seeing in Hamburg.

She knew it shouldn't bother her, and a part of her found it rather funny, the way he acted like Ami's guard dog. And really, what could he do, a simple, powerless boy like him, to protect the mercurian young woman? He held no match against neither Ami nor herself. The thought was almost hilarious.

But it did. The glances he would throw her way every now and then, the silent warning evident in those wide orbs of his, bothered her. He was marking his territory -a dog indeed-, and as annoying as such an archaic, macho chauvinist attitude was -something she was sure Ami wouldn't appreciate, if she were aware of it-, what bothered her the most was the silent order in itself.

As if that boy could do anything to stop them from hanging on the same -tight and closed- circle. As if he had any clue at all.

_Whatever_, she mumbled to herself, deciding to ignore him. Whatever this premonition power of his had showed him, he obviously got the completely wrong idea, and she had far much better things to do than worrying about a jealous boyfriend.

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**Coming soon:** "I never really liked clowns, and I always thought they're just creepy characters with a big fake and ironically sad smile on their faces. But now all I can think of is lizard like claws for fingers and sharp teeth and 'they all float down here'."

Meanwhile, any thoughts?


	27. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer:** all and any Sailor Moon character belongs to Naoko Takeuchi. I just own the idea for this story. So don't sue me, but please don't steal either!

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**26**

"They were after the Holy Grail," Ami explained. "And in order to obtain it, they needed to find the talismans, which were hidden inside pure hearts. Haruka and Michiru ended up being the ones carrying them, so they sacrificed themselves and…"

Highly curious, completely fascinated emeralds were shining up in utter interest. Chin resting on both hands, elbows over the table, the resemblance to a kid intensely listening on to a fascinating story made her trailed off.

"And you're enjoying this," she finished, incredulous.

Two eyebrows shoot up then, eyes opening just slightly in an all too innocent manner and a sheepish smile coming to the blonde's lips. Straightening her back and moving her elbows off the table, she assumed a less obviously fascinated, a bit ashamed posture as she shrunk her shoulders.

"I'm sorry!" Zoe exclaimed, clearly not as innocent and apologetic as she was trying to look, as a chuckle escaped her despite her efforts.

They had been sitting there, around the mahogany table in the living room, for almost two hours now. After that talk in Makoto's shop, it had been agreed that the tracking system was worth a shot, and before Zoe could go website hunting and hacking while she herself dive into the world of geology and atmospheric science, Ami had decided it was best to let Zoe in on the details.

She knew Mamoru had told her about the past, about the enemies they had faced. But she was also perfectly aware of the fact that the earthen Prince had only mentioned it to her, not really going that deep into the details. So it was up to her now to put Zoe up to date with all the needed information; she had records of every single battle they had ever faced, and she had already selected those which she considered relevant to help them in their task, those where they still hadn't known much about their enemies, and was now sharing those records with the blonde, while offering more detailed explanation on each and every enemy they had ever faced.

Original plans, organization and chains of command, preferred attack tactics and their particular monsters. Phages, lemures, diamons; in general lines to describe each kind, Ami took the time to explain the differences between one and the other. All, except droids; a first, superficial mention of their enemies had showed Ami that the green eyed woman was already quite lectured on the Black Moon clan, knowing why one small little pink haired girl had first made an appearance into their lives and why the Wiseman had wanted to capture her in the first place.

She didn't mention a single youma either; Zoe knew all about those already. She probably knew more about the Dark Kingdom than Ami herself. That, and Ami didn't have the heart to bring that up yet; she knew it was surely a sore subject, and she really didn't want to go back to awkwardness and square one. Which was why she had decided to start her little lesson from the end, moving backwards from then on, instead of from the beginning; it helped skip the entire Dark Kingdom issue, at least for the time being.

She had told her about the war against Galaxia and all about the Dead Moon Circus, and the blonde had sat there, right across from her, occasionally asking a question or two but otherwise silent, giving Ami her undivided attention. She was now in the middle of explaining what the Death Busters had been all about, and by now, it was hard for Ami to continue to ignore the glee in those green orbs.

It was a happy though concentrated kind of look. The kind little kids have when listening to a fascinating story.

"I'm a nerd, ok?" Zoe blurred out, as if that explained it all. "And this has comic book material written all over it."

"This is serious," she said, in her best chastising tone, although she did find the waving the hands around and wide eyed expression kind of funny.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry," the blonde said, nodding her head. "But really, warriors from another galaxy with the ability to turn from male to female? Pure hearts and Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune killing themselves to get talismans out of their own bodies and then coming back to life?"

"Technically, they didn't actually die…" she pointed out.

"Mirrors popping out of people's chest and reflecting their dreams?" Zoe continued, completely ignoring her comment. "And seriously, a circus? I never really liked clowns, and I always thought they're just creepy characters with a big fake, and ironically sad, smile on their faces. But now all I can think of is lizard like claws for fingers and sharp teeth and 'they all float down here'."

A small frown came to the blonde's face as she was obviously picturing something in her head, and Ami did the only rational thing after such a small little speech. She blinked.

"You know, 'they all float down here. When you're down here with us, you'll float too'?" Zoe offered, catching the completely clueless look upon Ami's face. "'He thrusts his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts'?"

Aside from the fact that she said that last part in English and Ami knew the blonde was quoting something, she honestly had absolutely no idea of what Zoe was talking about.

"Pennywise. The evil kid-eater clown?" the blonde offered. "It?" she insisted, incredulous now. "Stephen King's novel? Please tell me you've at least read the novel," she said, in an almost begging tone. And when Ami was only able to shake her head in denial, the blonde frowned. "Well, I wouldn't recommend you to read it _now_, considering you've actually faced an evil clown… but really, shame on you."

She blinked, both surprised and honestly lost. How exactly had they ended up talking about horror books? She preferred other kinds of reading material, and, if she had to be absolutely honest with herself, Ami considered she had seen enough real monsters in her life to be reading about fictitious ones in novels. And, in any case, how was her reading a Stephen King's novel relevant at all?

"I'm sorry, you lost me," she admitted, frowning. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"I'm a nerd!" the blonde stated, again. "I have bookshelves filled with comic books, getting my greedy hands on the original blu-ray of every single movie I like is a must, and my all time favorite toy, which I still have, mind you, is my lightsaber!"

She tried really hard not to laugh.

It wasn't polite or nice to laugh at someone, and she really didn't want the Shitennou to think she was making fun of her. But that wide eyed, goofy -though still proud- smile expression was hard to ignore. Again, it reminded her of a little kid, this time, extremely excited over a new toy.

There was definitively something juvenile about Zoe. Something youthful, and even innocent. Something that contradicted the intelligence in her eyes, and the sadness -or was it remorse?- that the blonde wasn't always able to hide.

The Shitennou smiled proudly, not in the least offended by Ami's small laughter. "It's an original vintage!" the blonde defended herself. "Green, of course," she continued, nodding her head for good measure. "Just like Luke Skywalker's in 'Return of the Jedi'," she stated.

Ami nodded. "Of course."

She had no idea.

Vaguely, she remembered seeing at least one of those movies when she was younger, purely out of curiosity after hearing one of her classmates talk about it rather passionately. But Ami herself had never really been a fan; she only knew the very basics, common knowledge really. She did know what a lightsaber was though, just like she knew, such an item was a must have for any Star Wars hardcore fan.

"So Minako was right," Ami noted, as a small, amused smile spreading across her face. "You really are quite the American nerd."

Zoe shrugged. "My dad was a Batman fan and a down to the bone Star Wars geek. So it didn't take long before I replaced my Barbies with Star Wars' figurines and superheroes collectible cards," she explained, chuckling. But then she frowned. "Personally, I don't think Batman should be considered a superhero at all. I mean, Bruce Wayne is just a filthy rich guy with access to really cool technology and heavy machinery," she reasoned. "Me? I'm a Spiderman gal," she stated proudly in her excited attack of verbal diarrhea.

Vaguely, Ami wondered if that was how she looked and sounded whenever she was the one getting overly excited over a particular subject. A Subject to which, usually, her friends had no interest in and were utterly unfamiliar with.

For the first time in her life, she could now actually relate to her friends' blinking, clueless expressions.

"But, yeah, you know…" Zoe continued. "I like comics. And me not having anything to do with any of it allows me to appreciate the comic book material in this whole evil circus and the mad scientist stereotype taking a whole new level thing," she stated, with a triumphant smile and a nod of the head. And then the wide, goofy smile came back to her features. "A scientist who just happened to be the father of a Senshi, to that. Come on!" she exclaimed. "Don't tell me you don't see the worthy of a comic book material, here!"

She frowned, tilting her head to a side as a small chuckle escaped her. Well, when she put it that way…

"Hey! You _do_ know a way to come up with millions of dollars, after all!" the Shitennou exclaimed, goofy smile still in place. "Now we just need to find someone with kickass drawing skills."

As entertaining as she found Zoe's babble -after being friends with Usagi and Minako for so long, she was well lectured in the art of not only understanding every single fast-spoken word, but actually enjoying the wonders of having a silly conversation just for the heck of it-, she really wanted to get things done. There was a pile of books still waiting for her to read and more than just a few more points to go over with Zoe before they could finally get started.

"As much as I appreciate you coming up with a perfectly legal idea," she said, admitting she still was apprehensive about a certain part of their task, "I think we need to be more realistic, here."

The blonde actually blushed at that; shoulders shrinking, eyebrows going up and sheepish smile, all the way. "Sorry," she said. "I kind of have the tendency of getting a bit carried away when I'm excited…"

_Just a bit?_, she thought to herself, unable to prevent the small, amused smile from coming to her lips. "I've noticed."

Zoe returned the smile then, her short-lived embarrassment being replaced by her easy-going nature once more. "And I kinda need to be excited about something if I'm going to be stuck reading about clouds, and rocks and… all these stuff," she stated, waving her hand around before tapping one of the many books scattered around the table.

She blinked at that. "Stuck…? But…"

"If you think I'm gonna let you do all the hard work by yourself, then I'm sorry honey, but you have something else coming."

She blinked again at the offhanded endearment. Her tone was teasing and nowhere near endearing, and it was easy to see Zoe had said it probably out of habit. But still, a light blush made it to her neck and all the way up to her cheeks all the same.

"But you'll be working on the websites and databases…"

"That can be done in a jiffy," Zoe said, waving her hand around, confidently. "Get a few records, study all the information and pick up the patterns, and then type down a few algorithms here and there so that we get alerted by very specific activity and not an earthquake in Turkey or a hurricane threatening with wiping an entire city off the map, right? That's the plan," she reasoned, not once giving Ami the opportunity to say much at all. "Not that I think natural disasters are unimportant or anything," she was fast to added. "I mean, it's terrible and I feel for all those people, but…"

"I know what you mean," she said, lifting a hand up and successfully shutting the blonde up for a moment. "And, to be honest, if we do find some sort of pattern, I doubt it'd be something so obvious…"

"Yeah, me too," the blonde agreed, nodding her head. "But there's gotta be something. I know there is," she said, more to herself than to Ami as she frowned for a moment, letting green eyes wander around the table and the several different books. "We just have to find it. And that's why I'm not letting you do all the work alone," she then stated, firmly. "Two heads think better than one, and all that."

She frowned, disagreeing with the blonde. Really, there was no need for Zoe to help her out on the research; the blonde would have enough work to do already once and if she did find a pattern, working on that bug of hers to create the tracking system that would alert them of any abnormal activity in the first place.

But as she opened her mouth to point out exactly that, the door opened up, and a pair of long legs covered in stripped linen pants and two huge grocery bags walked in. Shoes were kicked off, door shut closed with one foot, and the legs and bags entered the apartment.

If the grocery bags weren't enough of a hint for Ami to know which one of her roommates had just arrived, the length of the legs carrying said bags surely was.

She frowned, checking the time in her cellphone resting on the table before looking up again. "You're home early," she noted, a bit surprised.

As expected, Makoto's smiling face popped up behind the grocery bags. Her smile widening visibly as she noticed the blonde sitting across from Ami.

"Oh, good! You're still here!" she exclaimed, hurriedly making the way into the kitchen and signaling with her head for the both of them to follow her.

Zoe turned to Ami, looking unsure, and Ami smiled. Deciding a little break couldn't do any harm, she stood up and guided the blonde into the kitchen, where Makoto was already taking the groceries out of the bags and into their respective places.

"I left Shin to close up for the day," Makoto announced, smiling widely as she took several different bags of species and then proceeded to open the bags and placing their content into their jars, refilling them. "I've been meaning to invite you over for dinner," she said, looking up from the paprika pepper jar to look at Zoe, "and lucky you! You're already here and I'm in the right kind of mood!"

"You're always in the right kind of mood to cook," Ami pointed out, in her usual matter-of-fact tone.

"Details," Makoto said, waving her hand and dismissing the comment altogether.

"Oh, no, no," Zoe said at the same time. "I appreciate the invitation, but really…"

"Oh, come on! It's like the initiation ritual!" Makoto reasoned, interrupting the blonde. "You show up, you get introduce to the gang, and you come here so I can make you dinner!"

The brunette finished with a small jump and a wave of her hand, and Zoe blinked, though a small chuckle still escaped her.

Ami chuckled too, nodding her head to the blonde when unsure green orbs turned to her.

It was true. She wasn't quite aware of it being a 'ritual', but it didn't make it any less true. Never right away, as if giving them a time to get used to them all, and quite longer than with the others in Kun's case, but Makoto had invited every single one of the Shitennou over for dinner as they showed up.

It had been more than just a little awkward and downright uncomfortable with Kun, far more relaxing with Masato, and an filled with ice-breaking jokes and anecdotes of remote places all over the world with Jei, but yes, Makoto had made dinner for every one of them, individually, as her own, personal way to get acquaintance with each one of them. And now that Ami thought about it, it did sound logical for her friend to do so; making food for someone was Makoto's own personal way of welcoming them in.

In any case, it was a nice gesture. And Makoto's cooking skills were nothing short of extraordinary.

The blonde Shitennou tried to decline the invitation, but the tall Amazon wouldn't have any of it. It took Zoe precisely six minutes and a few tries to realize there was absolutely no way of saying no to Makoto when it came to dinner invitations. Or when trying to pay for her coffee, but Ami knew the blonde had figured that one out already and, just like the rest of them, had given up on trying to convince the Amazon.

And it took Ami that exact amount of time to realize, once Minako waltzed in, all bright smiles and none-stop friendly talk, that her original idea of inviting Zoe over to work on their project had been a bad one.

Though Makoto's shop represented more of a neutral ground for both, Ami didn't want to risk anyone listening on their conversation. And, while she had already been at Zoe's flat once, Ami felt it awkward to go there and spend God only knew how many hours with someone she still didn't know that well at all. She much preferred the safety her own apartment represented. Specially considering she had already everything she would need right there.

But as the conversation moved on to music taste and favorite movies, and Zoe went on the task of explaining exactly why _Lord of the Rings_ was the greatest epic movie of all times and a marvelous tribute to Tolkien even if it wasn't completely faithful to the books -there were too many small liberties here and there; missing characters and explanations that, according to the blonde, made the story that much more interesting-, Ami realized her mistake. There was no way her friends and roommates would let them get back to business.

Somewhere in between the elaborated reasons as to why one could simply not appreciate the beauty of the books without reading _The Hobbit_ first, and Minako's happy statement that 'that elf character' reminded her of Kun -probably because of the hair, Ami thought-, though in personality he was much more like 'the human one' -a statement that sent Zoe into another long explanation, this time of who exactly that 'human character' was and why, because of that, Mamoru would be the right choice to associate that character with rather than Kun-, Makoto made tea for everyone, and even Artemis had joined in on their conversation after his mandatory long catnap on Minako's bed. The white Lunar cat made himself comfortable on a chair, keeping an appropriate distance from the counter after he had learned that whatever comfort and more privileged point of view and hearing the counter offered, it was just not worth having Makoto threatening him -cutting knife in hand- and complaining about hairs in her food.

"So, did you always want to be a doctor?" Zoe asked, conversationally.

"I've toyed with the idea of going for science," she admitted, with a thoughtful frown upon her face. "And the pharmaceutical field has always interested me. But that includes lab rats, and Minako here won't allow any pets in the apartment," she finished, with a small, teasing smile dancing on her lips.

"Hey! No lab rats!" the sunny blonde exclaimed, pointing an accusatory finger at her. "No rats, period!"

Zoe chuckled, turning to Ami once more; a teasing gleam shining in green eyes. "Well, you could always work on monkeys," she pointed out. "Or, I don't know, dogs."

"No dogs!" Artemis put in; head held high and a disagreeing frown upon his feline face. "I mean it! Absolutely no dogs!"

"Aw, don't worry, Artie!" Minako exclaimed, waltzing up to him and tapping his head.

The cat moved away from the blonde's hand, glaring up at her. "Don't call me that!"

"You're our one and only pet!" Minako finished, paying no attention to the cat's complain.

"Excuse me?" he asked, a look of utter outrage on his face. Or as much outrage as a cat could muster. "I am _not_ a pet!"

Makoto chuckled, sheepishly shrinking her shoulders when furious blue eyes glared up at her. "Well, sweetie, you _are_ a cat," she pointed out.

"I am a royal advisor from the planet of Mau," he corrected her, shoving his pink little nose up in the air.

"Or, to cut it short, a cat," the venusian blonde put in, smiling widely and triumphal.

"That is…"

"You live here with three beautiful young women," Zoe interrupted him before he could curse his liege to the seven rings of hell in five different languages -two of which were long extinct.

Completely ignoring Makoto's blinking and slightly embarrassed expression and Minako's beaming smile, green eyes gazed into her blue ones. There was a hint of red decorating her cheeks as the emeralds shone in mirth, seemingly amused over the bright burning red that rose to Ami's cheeks at the offhanded compliment. It lasted barely a few seconds, and then it was all gone and masterly disguised as the blonde turned back to look at the feline, but it still made Ami's stomach twist in jump in the most strange, unpleasant way.

"Isn't that supposed to be the number one male fantasy?" the Shitennou concluded.

Artemis grumbled. "Does this fantasy include being threatened to death every other day and being smothered in your sleep by a ditz blonde?"

Minako slapped her guardian's head, making him look up at her as she dangerously narrowed her baby blue eyes. "One more insult like that one, and you'll be a very pink cat. Got it?"

Again, Artemis grumbled. "See what I mean?" he asked, blue eyes narrowed and clearly annoyed as he looked at the Shitennou.

Zoe chuckled, offering him a sympathetic look but otherwise refraining herself from making any comments on the matter. "So you guys have roommate rules?" she asked, wisely choosing to change the subject.

"Oh, yes," Makoto answered, vigorously nodding her head, raising one hand up as she started counting. "No rummaging through the others' clothes without verbal, explicit permission. No making anything in this kitchen, except for maybe tea or coffee."

"Makoto's territory," both Ami and Minako said in unison, making Zoe smile widely and amusedly at the monotonous, good pupil repeating a memorized lecture way they both said that.

"Exactly," the brunette agreed, smiling proudly. "No internet shopping is ever to be allowed…"

"I still think that's a really stupid rule," Minako interrupted, frowning in clear disapproval.

Relating to Makoto's incredulous look, Ami tapped her friend's hand. "Remember that one time when you got a little carried away and you had to wait until the next month to pay your cellphone bill?"

"Which got disconnected," Makoto added. "And all because of a hideous and ridiculously overprized bedcover," she finished, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, right…" the blonde mumbled, giggling nervously, before an offended frown came to her features. "It's not hideous!"

"Yes it is," Artemis argued. "And it tickles, too."

"And yet you keep having fabulously long naps on it," Minako accused.

"I do not sleep on that hideous thing. I sneak under it," the cat stated, proudly. "Your Egyptian, nine hundred thread count sheets are much more pleasant."

"What? Artemis!" Minako asked, outraged. "Those cost a fortune!"

"So, yeah, those are the rules," Makoto concluded, ignoring the arguing duo and smiling to Zoe. "Uh! And no sex in the shower!" she then added, as a second thought.

Minako and Artemis stopped arguing, and Zoe chocked on the tea she was drinking. And, completely ignoring the suspiciously gullible looking blonde, the scandalized expression on Artemis' face and the chocking Shitennou trying to clear the tea off her chin while trying to breathe normally once more, Ami's blue eyes went wide and opened, and she was sure, all color had just drained off her face.

"Excuse me?" she asked, as it was now her turn to be outraged.

"What?" Makoto asked back, frowning. "It's a perfectly reasonable rule."

Not one to go for bickering, yelling scenes in the best Usagi versus Rei style, but for once really wanting to, Ami forced herself to take a deep breath, trying to calm herself down before she could turn into an erupting volcano. "We make rules based on previous experiences," she reasoned, massaging her temples. "Please don't tell me there's been a previous experience to that one."

Zoe groaned. "Oh, God, please don't answer that…" she begged to no one in particular.

"I don't need to hear this!" Artemis announced, bouncing off his chair and walking out of the kitchen; green eyes following his form helplessly as one blonde was probably wishing she could do the same, but already knowing it would be rude for her to do so.

"What's the big deal?" Minako asked, confused. "It's a shower!"

"We share that shower!" Ami exclaimed. "I _shower_ in that shower!"

"Oh, don't worry," the brunette said, interrupting her chopping vegetables activity just enough to wave her hand. "Kun is too uptight to do anything anywhere but on his own bed…"

"That's not true," Minako argued.

"Jesus!" the Shitennou exclaimed, shutting her eyes closed and covering them with both her hands as if she had just seen something she shouldn't have.

"I think we're traumatizing Zoe," Makoto noted, smiling in amusement.

"I am never setting foot on Kun's apartment, ever again," the green eyed blonde stated, firmly. And then she groaned again. "Oh my God, I'm actually getting a mental image, here…" she said, turning to Ami with a look upon her face that was somewhere in between pleading, embarrassed, and just traumatized.

Ami let out a defeated sigh then, nodding her head in sincere sympathy. "You know that saying, 'ignorance is bliss'?" she asked. And when Zoe just nodded her head, barely, Ami sighed again. "I never really saw any true in it until I moved in with them."


End file.
